The narrow entrance to the gorge at Mezzocorona does not necessarily suggest that one of the widest valleys in the Southern Alps is hidden behind it. In fact, the Val di Non - also known as the Non Valley - stretches for almost 40 kilometres from south to north. At the level of the main town of Cles, the valley floor alone is a good seven kilometres wide. Here, apple orchard follows apple orchard - a good third of all apples harvested in Italy come from this valley.
To the south-west, the rugged Brenta Dolomites tower over the Val di Non. To the north and west, wooded mountain flanks rise gently towards the Mendelkamm ridge, which marks the border with South Tyrol with a sudden steep drop. Here, a vast and, at first glance, quite tame biking area seems to await explorers. Far from it! At least as characteristic as the apple orchards are the canyons, which are up to 200 metres deep and cut through the Val di Non at every turn.
Translated into mountain bike language, this means: There are many hidden corners, steep climbs and descents, but also countless narrow trails. The best example is the new local mountain bike highlight, the Tour de Non. This route takes you round the entire Val di Non in four one-day stages. A real test of fitness, with 154 kilometres of route, a good 6000 metres of altitude and countless hidden single trails on the programme. But there are also countless options north of the Brenta Dolomites for those who prefer to start their tours from a fixed base.
Top mountain bike tours in Val di Non
Trentino-Tour 03: Monte-Peller-Trails
Tour data and tour rating
Starting point
Car park in the centre of Tuenno on the road to Lago di Tovel
Route
The climb from Tuenno to the Passo della Forcola is tough! A mercilessly steep, mostly concreted ramp winds its way upwards. Once you reach the tree line, the gradient eases slightly, allowing you to enjoy the marvellous views of the Brenta Dolomites more. The reward for the pain is a singletrail descent. Pure flow awaits immediately after the top of the pass. After an intermediate section on forest paths, the last 900 metres of singletrail offer a mix of flow and more technically demanding sections (mostly S1, one short section S2).
Highlights
The trail sections from Malga Tasulla are fun to ride and offer great panoramic views of the Brenta Dolomites.
Retreat
The Rifugio Peller is a little off the beaten track. Malga Tassulla shortly before the Passo Forcola.
GPS download
You can download the GPS data for the 20 Trentino tours presented free of charge in the download area below this article.
Trentino Tour 04: Macaion Skyscraper
Tour dates & tour rating
Starting point
Piazza di San Giovanni, in the centre of Fondo
Route
The ascent from Fondo to Felixer Weiher starts off tough. After a good 300 metres of steep ascent, however, you can gain altitude in a more relaxed manner. From the summit of the Gantkofel, you can see from Merano to Bolzano and from the Texel Group to the Dolomites. The trail descent along the Mendel ridge is very varied and hard to find without a GPS. From the Furgglauer Scharte, a mix of forest road and short trail sections leads downhill, to Lago Smeraldo a fine hairpin bend trail. HIghlights The idyllic Felixer Weiher lake, the panorama on the Gantkofel and the hidden trails on the Mendelkamm ridge
Retreat
Two huts at Felixer Weiher, Regole di Malosco shortly before the end of the tour
GPS download
You can download the GPS data for the 20 Trentino tours presented free of charge in the download area below this article.
Info about the Val di Non bike area
Total tours
14 tours, mostly medium to difficult tours with GPS download, can be found on www.visitvaldinon.it
Tour de Non
All information about the four-day mega tour with a total of 36 per cent singletrack can be found at www.tourdenon.it or www.bergfex.it "Tour-de-non-mtb-experience-in-val-di-non".
Bike Marathon
Val di Non mountain bike marathon (May 2017), www.valdinonbike.net
General information
Information on accommodation and tours www.visitvaldinon.it
