The last time I met Maurizio was in the middle of all the "Tschingderassa Bumm Bumm" of the BIKE-Transalp. Loudspeaker announcements! Music! The streets of San Martino di Castrozza were teeming with bikers. We were both so involved in the organisation of the race that there was no chance of an after-work ride together. "You'll just have to come back in the autumn and I'll show you a few trails off the Transalp route," Maurizio said when we said goodbye. And here I am now. It's already the end of September and the bike season in San Martino di Castrozza is drawing to a close. Maurizio has now closed his hotel for a few weeks. In addition to the renovation work, he finally has a few hours to get on his bike himself. But it's not just his house that has gone into an autumn slumber - the whole village, situated at an altitude of 1500 metres on the mountain road to Passo Rolle, has done so too. Shutters are closed, the streets are empty. I have probably caught the quietest time of the year, but certainly not the worst.
Down in the valley, in Fiera di Primiero, I got a hotel room. And you can still cycle everywhere here. This was impressively demonstrated by the tour we had just completed. The last two hours were close enough to touch along the western walls of the Pale di San Martino. Below the Sass Maor, one of the most striking peaks of the massif and its neighbouring peak, the Madonna, whose veiled edge gives it the outline of a nun. We travelled along flowing trails and rough forest paths, but also up some biting ramps. Exactly what I wanted to see: the other side of San Martino, the side that hasn't been through the Transalp. And it is precisely this essence that the mountain forest now spits out again. The sun finally sends a few rays onto the alpine meadows on the west side. Only now, around midday, has it made it around the Dolomite massif. Maurizio stops to let the warmth penetrate his pores and take in the view of San Martino di Castrozza. We didn't meet a soul for two hours. It was just the forest, the trails and us. My stomach growls. "Hungry? Then come on!" Maurizio does indeed find a pizzeria with a wood-burning oven in all the busy alleyways of San Martino.
In the afternoon there is a little encore. We get into the car and cycle up the Passo Rolle north of San Martino. From here, we continue on our bikes to Malga Juribello on the other side of the pass. A bumpy carpet of now autumn-yellowed alpine meadows spreads out in front of us. On it is a hut, which is used in summer, and a few stables. Even the cows have been driven down into the valley. Once again, we are all alone up here. Maurizio points to the edge of the forest below the hut: "That's where Stradivarius got the wood for his violins." I've already heard of the precious wood "Legno di Risonanza". But I'm a little disappointed, because this spruce forest looks like any other. Only nature's play of colours provides the rich tones here. On the far right, the Marmolada, the mightiest peak in the Dolomites, shows us its reddish shoulder. Behind us, at the Pale di San Martino, the afternoon sun is already turning down the grey tones. The air is getting colder, the light from the mountains warmer. Autumn it is. Our route finally leads straight on through the forest down into the valley. Only at the end of the descent does a short, rough trail set a technical exclamation mark for the day. We actually wanted to cycle back to Passo Rolle via Val Venegia, but we got lost and wasted time. So the famous Transalp section is cancelled for us today. We take the direct route on the pass road to the car.
Over dinner, the tour planned for tomorrow becomes a project. Big conference. Giuseppe has joined us. He is the head of the local Transalp organisation. Later, Massimo de Bertolis also slides into his chair at our table, a little rushed. The 2004 marathon world champion and Transalp winner in the Masters category is also at home in the Primiero Valley and, like everyone else in this group, is a proven expert on the region. After the starter, the menu is spread out on the table. Fingers scurry over the marked paths. I don't interfere, only once, when the option "Trail or no trail?" comes up, do I argue in favour of riding fun, despite the extra metres of elevation gain. Everyone nods, the menu is folded up and the main course is served.
Unfortunately, the world champion has to miss the next morning. Instead, Loris, my Italian partner for the Transalp route planning, is on the mat. He brought Walter, his neighbour from Arco, with him. All it took was a phone call and the two of them set off. Maurizio lashed the bikes to the roof of his jeep. The expedition can begin. We head up to Malga Tognola, on the panoramic ridge between the Dolomites and Lagorai. Copper-brown peaks behind, grey pyramids ahead - and a hut with a coffee machine on the right.
"Normally, bikers take the gondola lift up. The lift ends right at the entrance to the downhill route - but unfortunately it's out of service now," explains Maurizio over an espresso. However, we are not interested in the bike park route back to San Martino anyway, but in the new territory on the other side of the pass. For example, Malga Fiamena, which sits enthroned on a panoramic plateau above the Vanoi Valley. Unfortunately, there is no inn here, not even one that has already closed. Instead, there are a few wooden trunks that offer enough seating comfort for the snacks you have brought with you. The view sweeps undisturbed over the peaks of the Lagorai. Then the descent to Canal San Bovo begins here with the same trail that was under discussion yesterday. The start is bumpy, but then follows a fun track through the mountain forest, the flow of which is only interrupted by a few hairpin bends. Only when we shoot out of the forest again in the valley do we realise how cool and dark it already is. Only the mountain peaks are still in the sunlight in the afternoon and today Maurizio digs out what's left in his hotel kitchen: red wine,
Cheese, salami, bacon. With the stale white bread, we create a sea of crumbs at the table. It's simply no longer the season in San Martino. And this atmosphere is simply priceless.
5 MTB tours around San Martino di Castrozza
1st Sass Maor / 15.8 km / 628 m elevation gain / 2 h
Short, exciting ride near the mighty eastern flank of the Pale di San Martino. From the Rolle Pass road, turn right towards "Dolomiti Lagorai Bike 263". A labyrinth of trails soon begins (GPS!). In Ronzi, the route finally leads back towards Civerthage on a narrow forest path. Beware, the ramps are also tough!
2nd Val Noana / 38.6 km / 1150 m elevation gain / 4 h
A refreshingly different excursion through the southern Primiero Valley, this is world champion Massimo de Bertolis' home circuit. From the gorge of the Val Schener, hairpin bends climb up to Malga Vederna. Below Monte Pavione and the Vette Feltrine, the route takes you across mountain pastures and forests to Lago di Noana and back down to Fiera di Primiero.
3rd Valle del Primiero / 45.7 km / 1400 m elevation gain / 4:30 h
The tour is an extensive exploration of the entire Valle del Primiero. The starting point is in Fiera di Primiero. The route then takes you close to the Pala Group, through dense pine forests and across sunlit high Alpine pastures. There are always mountain pastures along the way, and the tour can be shortened at any time.
4th Valle del Vanoi / 54 km / 2212 m elevation gain / 6 h
5th Palarama / 45.5 km / 1630 m elevation gain / 4:30 h
The GPS data for the MTB tours described can be downloaded free of charge below.
INFOS San Martino di Castrozza
The precinct
With their southernmost massif, the Pale di San Martino, the Dolomites once again pull out all the stops in terms of beauty. At their feet lie the Passo Rolle, the link to the Fiemme Valley, San Martino di Castrozza and, further down, the Primiero Valley. A side valley, the Vanoi Valley, extends as far as the mighty Lagorai chain with its grey mountain pyramids, which are clearly distinguishable from the Dolomites. This is why the "S.Mart" tourist region - San Martino di Castrozza, Passo Rolle, Primiero and Vanoi - is also part of the larger Dolomiti Lagorai Bike network and forms the link between Val di Fiemme and Valsugana.
Journey
More comfortable: on the Adige Valley motorway from the Brenner Pass to Trento-Nord, then towards Padova. On the partly four-lane state road 47 through Valsugana to the Feltre junction. Then from Fonzaso on the SS50 into the Primiero Valley and further up to San Martino. Shorter: on the Brenner motorway to Ora, through the Fiemme Valley to Predazzo and then via Paneveggio and Passo Rolle to San Martino
Maps and tour information
Compass map "Pale di San Martino, Fiera di Primiero (1:50000), 9.95 euros, www.kompass.at
Mountain bike tour map San Martino di Castrozza-Passo Rolle-Primiero-Vanoi, available from the tourist office
Bike hotels
Hotel Paladin, Via Passo Rolle 253, San Martino, www.hotelpaladin.itwith the most bike-crazy boss in town Hotel Luis, Viale Piave 20, 38054, Fiera di Primiero, www.hotelluis.it. Cycling-enthusiastic boss and delicious evening menu. Addresses of other Dolomiti S.Mart bike hotels at www.sanmartino.com.ts
More bike hotels: www.bike-holidays.com
Bike shops
Sports corner, San Martino di Castrozza, www.sportecke.eu. Ciclibettega, Mezzano di Primiero, www.ciclibettega.com
Guided tours
Primiero Bike School, Via Guadagnini 29, 38054 Fiera di Primiero (TN) Italia, www.primierobike.com
General information
Azienda per il Turismo San Martino di Castrozza, Via Passo Rolle 165, San Martino di Castrozza, www.sanmartino.com
Five things not to be missed around San Martino.
1. bike park San Martino
The lift to Malga Tognola (2200 metres) provides access to the San Martino Bike Arena bike park. Locals have been building various downhill variants here since 2013. In addition to the Downhill UNO, there is now a second one: the DH DUE with large wall rides against the impressive backdrop of the Pale. Downhill length: approx. 10 kilometres and 700 metres in altitude. Day ticket from 21 euros. Information about the park and the Campo Base Bikers Village: www.sanmartinobikearena.com
2. cheese & co.
The Dolomites Cheese Route runs through the Primiero Valley and San Martino. Mountain farmers have the highest quality standards for their products. The best place to buy regional cheeses such as Nostrano, Toséla or Botìro is at the Caseificio Sociale Comprensoriale in Mezzano (one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Italy). Info: www.caseificioprimiero.com
3. pala climbing
The Pale di San Martino offer some of the most exciting via ferratas and hiking routes in the Dolomites. It is well worth exploring the corners of the mountain group that are not accessible by bike. In addition, the Altipiano delle Pale, a stone plateau at an altitude of 2700 metres with 50 square kilometres of bare rock, offers a very special natural spectacle. Information on the via ferratas and the Pala Ronda trek at www.sanmartino.com
4th Regina Lounge Bar
In the lounge of the Hotel Regina, you get the feeling that you are waiting for the English lords to return from the peaks of the Dolomites at the end of the 19th century. The furnishings are as elegant and playful as you would expect from a country residence of the mountain aristocracy. A relaxed afternoon tea or a gin and tonic in the Regina brings back memories of the early days of the mountain sports community. www.hregina.it
5. canyoning in Val Noana
Canyoning in Val Noana takes you into a completely different world. The side valley stretches from Imer in the southern Primiero Valley towards the east and presents itself in the lower section as a narrow, winding and mystical gorge. Turquoise-coloured spring water washes the leashed participants through bizarre rock formations from one swimming pool to the next. Price per person: 55 euros. Info: www.sanmartino.com
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Gitta Beimfohr
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