Tour 1: Gardetta circuit
- Length: 49 kilometres
- Uphill: 1972 metres in altitude
- Duration: 6 hours
- Difficulty: difficult
Tour description
The Gardetta plateau is a scenic highlight of the region. Dominated by the rock tower of Rocca la Meja, a dreamlike high valley stretches out at an altitude of around 2000 metres. There are two ways to make the tour less strenuous, making it feasible even for less fit bikers: 1. take a shuttle to the Colle del Preit (minus 876 metres in altitude). 2. skip the Col Chiarbonnet and ride directly to Acceglio at SS7 (then continue at SS 14 = minus 444 metres in altitude). At Colle del Preit, you enter the network of military roads and climb up to the 2436 metre high Passo Gardetta without any major difficulties (stop for refreshments at Rifugio Gardetta). The first super trail of this tour begins at the pass and only ends after three kilometres, passing several bunkers. Numerous picture-book hairpin bends make the next ascent to Col Chiarbonnet a real pleasure. At four kilometres, the following singletrail to Saretto is even longer than the first. And more varied! Sometimes flowing, sometimes technically tricky, the path winds its way through the sparse forest. Short pushing passages included. The way back is partly on tarmac.
Tour 2: Monte Servagno
- Length: 24.4 kilometres
- Uphill: 1250 metres in altitude
- Duration: 5 hours
- Difficulty: difficult
Tour description
The moderate data of this tour should not tempt you to be reckless! The sticking point is the carrying and pushing passage up the Colle della Montagnetta. But those who take the effort will be rewarded with panoramic trails on Monte Servagno (shuttle to Colle del Preit possible!). Old military roads form the prelude. Between Passo Gardetta and Passo Rocca Brancia, extremely rough gravel requires constant pressure on the pedals. At the pass, you are rewarded with a fantastic panorama: to the north, the view over the Gardetta plateau, to the south as far as the Maritime Alps. On the following trail, you'll enjoy every centimetre of suspension travel. The descent is a whopping 670 metres in altitude and quite challenging in places. The aforementioned carrying passage begins with a balancing act through an eroded stream bed. From Colle della Montagnetta, there are still 400 metres of elevation gain to Colle Vallonetto, but these are rideable. At an altitude of 2532 metres, a trail begins that winds along a narrow ledge around the summit of Monte Servagno. The views down are eerie and beautiful. Only one or two scree fields force you out of the saddle. The finale from Colle della Margherina along alpine paths is pure pleasure!
Other worthwhile MTB tours in the Valle Maira:
Tour 3: Elva trails
21.9 km / 1053 m elevation gain / 3:30 hrs.
The trails from Elva via San Martino to Stroppo offer the best mix of flow and technique in the entire valley. The ascent through the wild Elva Gorge is a scenic highlight in itself. Tip: Be sure to visit the church in Elva! After the final ramp to the San Giovanni chapel, the flowing singletrail fun begins.
Tour 4: Monte Bellino
31.7 km / 1500 m elevation gain / 5:30 hrs.
The route runs in the rear Valle Maira. A bumpy military track leads up the Valle Traversiera. At an altitude of 2830 metres, La Colletta is one of the highest passes in the Western Alps. This is followed by a strenuous (short) pushing section over to Colle Bellino. The descent: a singletrail dream in a high alpine setting.
Tour 5: Strada Napoleonica
20.5 km / 795 m elevation gain / 2:30 hrs.
An ideal tour to get in the mood for the Valle Maira. From Marmora uphill on tarmac, via Brieis to Borgata Superiore. Then on a fun mountain trail along the western flank of Monte Buch to Colle dell'Encuccetta. The legendary Bassura trail down to Stroppo begins here. The grippy forest floor is a delight!
Information about mountain biking in Valle Maira
The precinct
The Valle Maira is around 40 kilometres long and is located in the westernmost tip of Italy. The head of the valley borders on France. The region belongs to Piedmont, the mountains to the Cottian Alps. The nearest major town is Cuneo in the Po Valley, around 90 kilometres south of Turin. The centre of the biking area is the Gardetta plateau between the Valle Maira and the Valle Stura. The region is criss-crossed by numerous military roads, remnants of the old conflicts between Italy and France.
Arrival
By car: Via Switzerland or Austria to the Po Valley. Continue via Milan to Turin and towards Cuneo. Via Savigliano, Saluzzo and Dronero into the Valle Maira. Or from Lake Garda via Brescia, Piacenza and Alessandria to Asti. From there, continue on the A33 towards Cuneo. From Alba also via Saluzzo (see above) into the Valle Maira.
Alternatives: Cuneo can also be reached by train.
Maps and tour information
The Swiss Peter Vogt from Ceaglio has developed an impressive network of tours in the Valle Maira in recent years (20 tours, 760 km, approx. 30,000 metres in altitude). Information at www.mtb-piemonte.it
Many GPS tracks of the tours are also available at www.gps-tracks.com. Indispensable: Valle Maira, topo hiking map, 1:25000, published by Monti Editore
Accommodation
There are a few small hotels and Albergi and five campsites in the sparsely populated valley (information: www.ghironda.com). The historic Pensione Ceaglio in the village of Marmora specialises in bikers (shuttle service to the start of various tours, e.g. to the Colle del Preit), info: Tel. 0039/0171/998114, www.ceaglio-vallemaira.it
Bike shops
Cicli Mattio, Via Donatori di Sangue 1, Piasco (CN), Tel. 0039/0175/270058, www.ciclimattio.com
Further information
The report: Mountain biking in the valley of silence
We are stuck. On the southern slope of Monte Servagno, a bare peak in the Cottian Alps. Three sheepdogs circle us watchfully. The dogs don't look aggressive. At least not as long as we keep still. But they bare their teeth every time we twitch. "They're just doing their job," says Michael, grinning a little agonisedly at the others. Oliver and I agree. The shepherd's rucksack lies at the side of the path, which the dogs are obviously defending. But rescue is near. A few minutes later, the Bergfex has climbed up to us from his flock and is keeping his eager guard dogs in check. We don't understand what he is saying to us. But his friendly face reveals that he is probably happy to have a change of scenery up here in the solitude. Attentive eyes flash from his weather-beaten face and a black beard grows on his chin. "Colle Vallonetto," I say and point in our direction of travel. But a conversation doesn't really get going. Later, I will learn that in the southern valleys of Piedmont, you have little chance of communicating even with Italian. This is because many of the locals speak Occitan, an ancient language from the south of France. We soon get back on the saddles and continue to gain metres in altitude. At Colle Vallonetto, I look back once again at the dreamlike high valley with its white-spotted meadows, where the dogs run around the sheep like little ants. What a place to work!
The valley is still marked by the exodus in the 1960s. With just two inhabitants per square kilometre, Valle Maira is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Europe.
But the scenery on the other side of the ridge is not to be sneezed at either. Wisps of cloud float up the scree slopes from the neighbouring Valle Stura. Silently, they fray into mystical air formations. Rugged mountain ranges stretch out to the horizon. No director in the world could stage a more perfect dramatisation. Once again, nature is performing its unique theatre. And once again, since we have been travelling in the Valle Maira, we are sitting in the best seats for free. Michael, Oliver and I spontaneously got together online to explore one of the last blank spots on the bike map. Okay, perhaps the valley is no longer completely white. After all, Michael from Pfaffenwinkel in Upper Bavaria and Oliver from Munich had Valle Maira on their to-do list. But the area is still an insider tip, at least among bikers.
At Colle Vallonetto, it's not the thin air that causes our pulse rate to skyrocket, but the singletrack trail that now clings to the slope on the left. We balance on the narrow ledge towards the Rocca la Meja. Its flat rock pyramid dominates the Gardetta plateau, a mountain flower paradise at an altitude of around 2000 metres, lined with gentle alpine meadows. But as peaceful as the Gardetta may seem today, its territory was once hotly contested. Like most of the paths around the plain, our trail was carved into the mountain for military purposes. The main artery for the troops was the Maira-Stura ridge road between the Colle del Preit and the Colle dei Morti. And in the north, the Varaita-Maira ridge road served as a supply route - today also an impressive bike tour. Close to the border with France, almost every pass is dotted with bunkers and gun emplacements. But only the wind howls through the spooky window openings and embrasures. Our mountain trail behind Colle Vallonetto is also of military origin, as evidenced by the walled sections. If there is anything positive to be taken from this dark chapter, it is that the paths are now perfect bike trails. Only Michael curses to himself from time to time when his Twentyniner bucks over the rough gravel. He mumbles something about "too little suspension travel". Admittedly, the narrow path is quite breezy, so it's better not to take any risks and voluntarily descend on steps that are too nasty. There are also more trail highlights waiting in the next few days that are worth surviving for.
With the last light of day, we roll into the tiny village square in Marmora, which belongs to our guesthouse. The defiant stone houses are tightly packed around the alleyways, which are barely two metres wide. The Galliano family is the second generation to run the Ceaglio. Over the years, they have collected numerous historical pictures, tools and agricultural implements from the valley, which now characterise the ambience around the village fountain. The place is a wonderful symbiosis of past and present. After dinner, we meet up with Peter Vogt in the rustic library. The Swiss discovered his love for Valle Maira 14 years ago while on holiday. His longing for this gem in the Piedmont mountains was so great that he kept coming back and is now practically part of the family.
A single trail that will bring tears to your eyes
"Even back then, the mountain bike was ideal for exploring the region," he explains over a herbal liqueur. "But there were hardly any other bikers apart from me," he adds with a grin. On his forays, Peter began to explore the trails bit by bit, using the trial-and-error method. "The only known tour led across the Gardetta plateau. That's where the first Western Alps crossers passed," continues the former chemist. The tour over the Gardetta is also his tip for the next day, albeit refined with a variant that is likely to bring tears to the eyes of singletrail fans. While the classic route turns round at the Rifugio Gardetta and curves round to the Colle dei Morti, we head straight over the Passo della Gardetta. There, a dream path turns vertical and only ends after many kilometres at Alp Prato Ciorliero. Passing some monstrous bunkers, the singletrail provides a change of scenery after every bend. Narrow serpentines, technical passages, then again just gliding along.
At some point, a group of bikers push towards us. But there is no time for pity. Adrenalin mixes with happiness hormones to create an addictive cocktail. Charged up like this, the decision to take another trail detour is an easy one. Especially as the winding ascent to Colle Ciarbonnet is extremely enjoyable thanks to the gentle gradient. From the top of the pass, the view extends to the end of the valley. France is already behind it. It was from there that the first settlers came over the 2700 metre high Colle del Sautron into the Valle Maira and brought the Occitan language with them. However, the valley's heyday came to an end after the First World War, when large parts of the population emigrated. Although tourism is now providing a small boost again, the Valle Maira is one of the least populated regions in Europe. The single trail from Colle Ciarbonnet to Saretto shows a completely different face: grippy forest floor, wild root passages and hairpin bends to the point of no return. Permanent grin and high five at the village fountain in Saretto. Can this really be true?
With the Strada dei Cannoni and the Maira-Stura ridge road, kilometres of military tracks run through the Cottian Alps. The flow factor is much higher on the single trails that lead back down into the valley.
Every evening, Peter provides us with new missions. On the sunny side of the valley, tiny hamlets are scattered across the plateau as if a giant had tipped out a dice cup. In addition to the tarmac roads, the villages of Elva, Stroppo and San Martino are connected by ancient paths. All goods had to be transported on foot along these mule tracks. Fields on the steep slopes tell of the hard life that mountain farmers once led up here. In the Elva Gorge, which cuts a deep gorge into the mountain, an adventurous road has been carved out of the rock. The surface, perforated by falling rocks, makes our foreheads sweat and our cadence increase. If it's raining, it's better not to cross this hellish chasm. The descent back into the Valle Maira, on the other hand, is a must. The locals already knew how to carve paths into the mountain flanks a hundred years ago! Perfectly adapted to the terrain, this epitome of a flow trail swings down into the valley. Before the last section, we give our disc brakes another break at the small chapel in San Martino to cool down. The silence is almost palpable, the idyll so postcard-perfect that it's hard to believe. But secretly, we all pray that it stays that way in Valle Maira.
Things not to miss in the Valle Maira in Piedmont
Castelmagno at the end
This cheese made from cow's and either sheep's or goat's milk enjoys a reputation as the most valuable type of cheese in Italy. Together with a little honey, the delicately flavoured Castelmagno is the perfect end to a meal in Valle Maira. It is preceded, for example, by a casserole (flan) with chard or bagna cauda, a kind of fondue with raw vegetables dipped in a warm sauce of olive oil, anchovies and garlic. Please note: in Piedmont, you won't leave the table with fewer than four to five courses.
Herbal liqueur
A visit to Matteo Laugero is a high-proof pleasure! In the village of Macra (east of Stroppo), the side valley of the Bedale Intersile branches off to the south. The tarmac ends in the mountain hamlet of Palènt, where Matteo and his sons cultivate their herb plantations. They produce delicious liqueurs from the plants, such as Genepy and Amaro. Tip: A tour of the steep fields is available on request. The family also runs a guesthouse (La Tappa del Monte Buc), serving regional cuisine. www.palent.it
Church of Elva
You don't have to be religious to succumb to the charm of the little church in the mountain village of Elva. The wall and ceiling paintings by Hans Clemer will amaze even atheists. If the gate is closed, simply collect the key to Santa Maria Assunta from the San Pancrazio inn. The fresco cycle is even part of Italy's cultural heritage.
Cuneo city stroll
The capital of the province of Cuneo is located around 20 kilometres from the entrance to the Valle Maira. The heart of the city beats around Via Roma, which leads straight to Piazza Galimberti. Thanks to the ten kilometres of arcades in the old town, you can enjoy a shopping spree without getting your feet wet, even in rainy weather. www.comune.cuneo.gov.it
Hair Museum
As small as the village of Elva may be, you can learn a lot about the history of Valle Maira up here. The inhabitants of Elva once travelled through the Alps as "hair hunters", selling girls and women their braids. Up here in the seclusion, they used them to make wigs that were in demand all over the world. The small museum is located in a village house near the church.
Extra tip in Piedmont: MTB tours in the province of Biella
The small province of Biella lies slumbering between Turin and Milan and borders the Aosta Valley to the west. The region has so far been spared the crowds of tourists, although its 100 square kilometre nature reserve Oasi Zegna is one of the most beautiful nature parks in the Western Alps.
The pilgrimage route Cammino di Oropa begins in the mountains of Biella. The four-day route starts in the town of Santhià. It connects the Oasi Zegna with its many sanctuaries and the sacred mountain of Oropa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 7 holy mountains (places of worship) were built in Piedmont between the 16th and 17th centuries as an alternative to the long and dangerous pilgrimages to Rome or distant Jerusalem.
Today, the Cammino di Oropa is one of the five most popular pilgrimage routes in Italy, which is why a dedicated route for e-bikers has now been created: the Ciclovie di Oropa. It is signposted from Turin airport and from the railway stations in Santhià, Ivrea and Biella and runs for over 350 kilometres to the seven sacred mountains. About the SlowBI app you can book "e bike friendly" accommodation along the route and also hire e-bikes. The bikes are equipped with bags and smartphone holders. The third section of the route should also be completed by October 2023. It will lead through the Oasi Zegna Nature Park and as far as Varallo Sesia, at the foot of Monte Rosa.
