"Make sure you stay in front today," said Marc Schneider, race director of the Maxxis BIKE Transalp 2022, called out to me with a meaningful look shortly before the start of the stage. And when Marc says that, I know that there are some very fun trails on the programme today. But the more trails there are on the stage, the greater the risk of traffic jams, because it's almost impossible to overtake on a real singletrail. Especially at the back of the field. So the only way for me to have a free ride and enjoy the trails is to be at the front with the fast riders. That means stepping on the gas, which I don't find particularly difficult.
As a long-time route photographer for the Transalp, no one holds my E-MTB against me. After all, I have to capture as broad a cross-section of the participants as possible every day.
Without a guilty conscience, I work my way to the front of the field from the start in Aprica, over the Passo del Mortirolo and along the valley cycle path to Ponte di Legno. From the village of Case di Viso onwards, I only overtake a few riders, as the field has spread out considerably on this long climb. Now the old military road becomes steeper, the landscape more alpine with every metre of altitude. The Rifugio Bozzi, which enjoys a reputation among Alpine crossers for having the most beautiful starry sky in northern Italy at night, lies at almost 2500 metres. Of course, this deserted area between Ortler and Adamello has hardly any larger towns and the light pollution is comparatively low.
Now it's time to get down to business: shortly after the hut, the cart track becomes so steep and bumpy that it forces me out of the saddle despite the motorised assistance. The Montozzo saddle lies at a lofty 2613 metres above sea level; a network of trenches is a reminder of the origins of the alpine trail network up here. Even a few metres of barbed wire have survived the century since the First World War. Just like this super trail, which now winds down the other side of the valley.
At the beginning, it cuts through the green slopes of the high valley with a moderate gradient and allows for a fast, high alpine ride. Little braking, hardly any pedalling is the motto. The scree is grippy and only a few large rocks on the right and left occasionally create bottlenecks. At some point, the trail tips over a step in the terrain. The turquoise-coloured eye of the Lago di Pian Palu glistens below, with bushes and alpine roses reaching almost as far as the handlebars. The trail's hairpin bends are now tighter. It becomes steeper, rougher and more daring. At some of the key sections, I think twice about whether pushing would be more sensible. But in the end, everything is rideable. Out of the corner of your eye, you can still see dozens of hairpin bends down towards the lake, but suddenly the route branches off to the right and balances along the slope on a narrow and exposed, but mostly flowing trail. This section (trail no. 111b and 137) was off-limits to bikers for a few years, but it was prepared for the BIKE-Transalp 2021 and has now been reopened. An absolute highlight that leads into an Alpine pasture area on the eastern part of the lake before the tarmac road takes over down to Pejo.
You can download the GPS data for the MTB tour over the Montozzo Forcella at the end of the article.
Facts about the BIKE Supertrail Montozzo-Scharte
In total, the route covers 58.7 kilometres and 2243 metres in altitude. The super trail from the Montozzo saddle to Lago Pian Palu covers 813 metres in depth. As a round trip: starting point Ossano. If this is too ambitious for a day's ride, there is also an overnight accommodation option just below the Montozzo Forcella (2613 m): the simple but rustic Rifugio Bozzi (tel. 0039/339/8611947).
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