You should be eleven friends. Cats have seven lives. Take two. The first one. The whole world is made up of numbers. And people think and count in metric. At least in this country. The metre raises the bar (2.45 for the high jump world record), sets high points (8848 for mountaineering) and makes distance (42.195 for the marathon). Numbers also count in mountain biking. The tour is 29 kilometres long and has an elevation gain of 1600 metres. And that brings us to the topic: three thousand. A four-digit number like many, but a special one for touring bikers, enduro riders and bike mountaineers. Conquering a bike three-thousand metre peak once in your life, how great! Or collecting several three-thousanders in one weekend, that would be even better.
Bikers can count the places where you can pedal, push or carry your bike up to 3000 metres and higher on two times five fingers: In the Western Alps, Briançon, Bardonecchia, Valtournenche, Zermatt and Valsavarenche. In the Eastern Alps you need a magnifying glass: St. Moritz, Livigno, Vent, Sulden - and Santa Caterina Valfurva. S. Caterina, 200 inhabitants. One of them is Olympic ski champion Deborah Compagnoni. A handful of hotels. Just as many lifts. That's it. But only at first glance. Because what Wimbledon is to tennis players and Hawaii is to triathletes, the Lombardy mountain village between Ortler, Bormio and Passo di Gavia is to bikers who want to go particularly high.
Nowhere else in the Alps are there so many bikeable mountains and passes that exceed the three-thousand metre mark. If you add the touring area on the nearby Stelvio Pass, there are a dozen destinations whose altitude starts with a three. It's just a shame that my friend Markus and I only have three days. But five out of twelve should be doable! The first highlight is the Rifugio Casati. It sits enthroned on a rocky ridge in the immediate vicinity of the Ortler, Königspitze and Zebrù triumvirate.
Years ago, I was already up here at 3269 metres during a tour around the Ortler. Back then, we came across a glacier with the telling name of Langerferner. I was terrified of the crevasses. If you're coming up from S. Caterina, it doesn't matter, the ascent from the south is completely ice-free. But tough as hell. And the thin air and grandiose neighbourhood make you pretty breathless. But Markus and I have two aces up our sleeves: Firstly, we are travelling with e-MTBs. They push you irresistibly uphill. And the spare battery in the rucksack gives you confidence.
By taxi to the Rifugio Pizzini
Secondly, we take a taxi to the Pizzini hut. Our taxi is a pretty stylish Land Rover. Our driver has the lovely name Simone Cola and is an easy-going fellow. He picks us up at the meeting point at the Hotel Sport at an uncharacteristically Italian time of five to seven, loads the bikes onto the trailer and speeds up through the Valle di Cedec to an altitude of 2,700 metres. An adventure in itself! 75 euros paid, a hearty "Arrivederci!" and Signore Cola is gone. What remains is heavenly peace. And an equally heavenly breakfast in front of the hut.
I could stand it here! But work is calling. So up on the bike, turbo boost on and up to the Rifugio Casati towering 500 metres above us. The only problem: The basin behind our breakfast hut is so steep on three sides that all confidence disappears. How are we supposed to get up there? We get there, but not by car. At an altitude of around 3000 metres, the path becomes too steep and blocked. We push. At one point we even have to carry. No fun with a 25-kilo bike. The last few metres to the ridge are then rideable again, but the air up here at an altitude of over 3200 metres is pretty damn thin.
A few mountaineers on the way to Cevedale look puzzled as we round the corner. And the hut is closed. Never mind, it looks like a barracks barricade from the outside. But as long as we're up here, we'll go as far as we can. Markus shifts into the lowest gear and speeds up from Rifugio Casati to Rifugio Guasti. According to the map, this is at 3285 metres. As far as I know, you can only get higher by bike in the Alps in Breuil-Cervinia and Cogne, both very far away in the Western Alps. But the day is still young. And while we're here, we want to tackle a second three-thousand metre peak. So we get on our e-MTBs, head back down to the breakfast hut and up to the Passo di Zebrù. At 3001 metres, it only just scrapes the magic mark, but is certainly the most rewarding of the three thousand metre peaks around S. Caterina.
Markus doesn't descend once from the Pizzini hut to the top of the pass. Chapeau! And after an extensive snack and photo break, we cycle down into Val Zebrù on an initially challenging, but later increasingly flowy path. Two out of five would be done! Saturday. After the strenuous first day of touring, we take it easy today and take the gondola from Bormio up to Cima Bianca. 30 minutes, 1799 vertical metres later and two times 19 euros lighter, we are standing at 3018 metres above sea level. I only know of one other spot in the Eastern Alps - St. Moritz - where man and machine are gondolaed up to over 3000 metres. We could easily take the bike park lines downhill to the north, but we want to head south. Down to the beautiful mountain lakes at the Bocca di Profa and on through the Valle di Sobretta.
A cold front is expected to pass through at midday
In the evening, Markus and I toast our coup at the bar with hotel manager Norberto and his wife Ottilia: A three-thousand metre bike climb couldn't be easier than on the Cima Bianca. Passo di Gavia. Countless racing cyclists and motorcyclists buzz along its fine asphalt surface from Valfurva into Val Camonica. The Rifugio Bonetta is right at the top of the pass. Markus has known the landlord Silvano for a long time. He's a mountain guide in real life and knows everything about the region. I pull out Tabacco card number Otto, he serves us a princely breakfast - and gives us a few insider tips. Before the cold front predicted for midday rushes in, we want to conquer two three-thousand metre peaks around the hut: Monte Gaviola and Belvedere. Two ascents of 400 metres in the morning, followed by an escape from the nasty weather - a good plan!
Monte Gaviola. This peak guards the pass almost vertically above the Rifugio and was of great strategic importance in the mountain war of 1915-1918. The zigzag path is barely recognisable from a distance. Only when you are right at the foot of the mountain do you recognise this masterpiece of road construction. In dozens of tight hairpin bends, the stone path winds its way up to a saddle at an altitude of 2,967 metres, before taking a very airy route along the edge of the ridge to the 3025-metre-high summit. Even though the military path has suffered badly over the last 110 years, it is still quite easy to ride on an e-MTB. I push about 100 metres in altitude. Four out of five three-thousand metre peaks are in the bag, the last one is waiting just opposite Monte Gaviola: an inconspicuous peak with the promising name "Belvedere".
An hour later, we are at the top - and enjoying the truly "beautiful view". The wind is whistling around our ears, the cold front has arrived. It starts to rain. So let's get down! Markus shoots down the narrow, steep hairpin bends to the Rifugio, visible from afar. And I think to myself up here at the summit cross at 3014 metres: numbers are actually completely unimportant. What counts is the experience. And the friendship.
The 3 tours to three-thousand-metre happiness
The paradise for summit collectors has a name: Santa Caterina. E-mountain bikers can take photos of a dozen three-thousand-metre peaks here. Here are our three tours with five three-thousand metre peaks:
1 - Cima Bianca
- Length: 33.2 kilometres
- Uphill: 381 metres in altitude
- Trail share: 34 per cent
- Difficulty: S2
Starting point: Bormio 3000" cable car valley station. Reachable by car from S. Caterina in 15 minutes (13 km).
The tour: Take the cable car up to the "Bormio 3000" mountain station. From the Cima Bianca (3018 m), head south on a rough gravelled path past beautiful mountain lakes to the Bocca di Profa (2663 m), which can be seen from afar. Here you turn northwards and follow trail # 518 through the Valle di Sobretta. At the junction at P. 2290, take the left-hand path # 542 and follow it back to the Bormio ski area/bike park.
If you want to start and finish in S. Caterina, take the forest tracks #522 and at the end #540 to Bormio and the valley station of Bormio 3000. On the descent, take the right fork at P. 2290 and follow tracks #523, #549 and at the end #522 directly back to Santa Caterina Valfurva. Attention Olympia! Due to construction work for the 2026 Winter Olympics, all cable cars on the Cima Bianca and the bike park will be closed in summer 2025.
Key points: In the upper part of the descent from Cima Bianca down to Bocca di Profa, a few smaller obstacles await. From the junction, the trail is easy to ride and the trails in the bike park are flowy. If you take the variant via trail #523 and #549 to Santa Caterina, more S2 sections await you.
Retreat: In the "Heaven 3000" restaurant (heaven3000.it) before the 1800 metre descent back to Bormio. You can also spend the night in the chalet at the summit (chaletlevissima3000.it). Please note: The restaurant and chalet are also closed in summer 2025!
2 - Rifugio Casati & Passo Zebrù
- Length: 31.5 kilometres
- Uphill: 1294 metres in altitude
- Downhill: 2257 metres in depth
- Trail share: 40 per cent
- Difficulty: S2-S3
Starting point: At the Rifugio Pizzini. Approach by (e-)MTB (from S. Caterina approx. 10 km/1000 m) or by bike shuttle (see below).
The tour: At the Rifugio Pizzini (2700 m), follow the wide gravel path in a north-easterly direction that leads to the material cable car. On the clearly visible main path on the right, you fight your way up to the ridge in a large left-hand bend. At the end, there is a pushing and short carrying passage with a rope railing. After the ascent to the Casati and Guasti huts, take the same route down to the Pizzini hut. Here you turn westwards and cycle or push to the top of the pass, which is already visible. The path is steep and tricky at first, then becomes increasingly flowy before it joins a track at the Baita del Pastore (approx. 2150 m). After a long descent, you reach S. Nicolo in Val Furva and cycle back to S. Caterina via the main road or forest trail #522 on the other side of the valley.
Key points: The short steep section below the Casati hut is unrideable downhill, otherwise the descent is rough but not difficult. The upper part of the descent from Passo Zebrù is challenging (S3), further down the trail flows through very steep terrain. Falling is not recommended here!
Retreat: The Rifugio Pizzini is an ideal base camp for breakfast (before the ascent to the Rifugio Casati) and lunch (before the ascent to the Passo Zebrù). An overnight stay in this typical Italian Alpine Club hut is also recommended. Info: rifugiopizzini.it
Shuttle: The brothers Simone and Corrado Cola offer a shuttle service to the Rifugio Pizzini in summer. Price 2024: 75 euros for two bikers and two bikes. Info: alpintaxi.it
3 - Gaviola & Belvedere
- Length: 9.2 kilometres
- Uphill: 776 metres in altitude
- Trail share: 100 per cent
- Difficulty: S1-S2
Starting point: At the Rifugio Bonetta at the top of the Gavia Pass. You can get here by car (14 km/20 min), Alpine taxi (see tour 2) or by bike (14 km/900 m).
The tour: From the Rifugio Bonetta (2652 m), turn east and follow the wide track until, after about 500 m, a narrower path branches off to the right towards Monte Gaviola. Ascend in many hairpin bends to a saddle (2967 m) and on to the exposed summit (3025 m). Return the same way. Back on the main track, do not turn left to the Gavia, but right. In many hairpin bends you cycle/push steeply to the Belvedere (3014 m). Take the same route back to the Rifugio Bonetta.
Key points: Both ascents are a feasible challenge for e-mountain bikers, but the old military paths are too steep and rough for organic bikers. Good e-bikers ride around two thirds of the 400 metres uphill in each case. Downhill, the tight hairpin bends are the only difficulty worth mentioning.
Retreat: On the one hand, the Rifugio Bonetta right at the highest point of the Passo di Gavia is a welcome starting and finishing point for three-thousand metre climbers. The pre-summit of Monte Gavia (3083 m) is also doable by E-MTB. On the other hand, the countless cars, motorbikes and racing bikes that crowd the small hut during the day are annoying. Tip: spend the night here! Info: passogavia.it
Download the GPX data
As a subscriber to BIKE magazine, you can download the GPS data free of charge from our homepage www.bike-magazin.de under "My area".
Premium+ subscribers to the BIKE Touring Portal automatically receive the data in their sat nav app or can download the data here:
At this point, you will find external content that complements the article. You can display and hide it with a click.
What you need to know
Want to go really high? Then head to Santa Caterina in Val Furva! The small mountain sports village attracts visitors with plenty of "Italianità" - and some of the highest bike peaks in the Alps.
The precinct
Santa Caterina lies at 1734 metres above sea level and is the last village in the upper Val Furva before heading up to the Passo di Gavia and down into Valtellina. The ski and mountain sports resort is framed by the Ortler Alps to the north, the Forno basin to the east and the three thousand metre peaks around the Passo di Gavia to the south. During the mountain war of 1915-1918, the area was hard-fought and numerous military roads were built, which mountain bikers benefit from today. Especially those with e-assistance.
How to get there
From Munich, drive via Kufstein, Innsbruck and Brenner to the Mezzocorona exit and continue through Val di Sole and via Passo Tonale and Passo di Gavia to Santa Caterina (430 km/6 hours). From Stuttgart, drive via Füssen, Fernpass and Reschenpass to St. Maria and via Passo Umbrail and Bormio to Santa Caterina (500 km/6:30 h).
Best time to travel
Due to the high altitude and the special microclimate on the southern side of the Ortler Alps, Santa Caterina is the purest snow hole in winter. Accordingly, the mountain bike season starts late (mid-June) and ends early (early October). The best time to visit is September. You should definitely avoid Santa Caterina during the Italian summer holidays around 15 August ("Ferragosto").
Overnight stay
Santa Caterina may only have around 200 inhabitants, but it has a good handful of hotels. Tip: the Hotel Sport in the centre of town. As the name suggests, this hotel specialises in active holidaymakers and sports enthusiasts. Hotel manager Norberto Pedranzini knows his way around and gives his mountain bike guests a few good tips. Info: hotelsport.info
Bad weather programme
If the weather is bad, the best thing to do is to drive down to Bormio and relax in the newly refurbished "Bormio Terme" (bormioterme.it). The "Terme Bagni Nuovi" revives the Belle Époque era. The time-honoured "Terme Bagni Vecchi" is a special experience, as it is literally clinging to the steep slopes above Bormio (qcterme.com).
Bike shops
- The "Stelvio Experience" bike shop in Via Funivia 113 in Bormio not only offers spare parts and quick help, but also a good espresso in the "Stelvio Experience Bar" (stelvioexperience.it).
- At the "Bormio Ski & Bike" in Via Stelvio 19 in Bormio, you can hire bikes, defects are quickly repaired - and of course there's also a café (bormioskibike.com)
