The mountain flanks opposite are lush green right up to the ridges. The last remnants of snow remain at the top. Nevertheless, I can't shake off the association with Dubai.
You can find the GPS data for these tours in the download area below:
- TOUR 1: Monti di Lego (33.3 km, 1360 m elevation gain, 4:30 h)
- TOUR 2: Corona dei Pinci (22.3 km, 1100 m elevation gain, 4 h)
- TOUR 3: Alpe di Neggia (21.4 km, 1270 m elevation gain, 5 h)
From the tinted windows of the cable car, the view of Ascona and Locarno is unobstructed. It seems as if the two main towns on the Swiss side of Lake Maggiore have been a little hesitant to fully embrace the huge alluvial cone of the Maggia River. Straight as a die, as if drawn with a ruler, the river divides its own delta into two symmetrical halves. On either side, the alleyways and avenues of Ascona and Locarno run in a semi-circle like palm fronds into the deep blue waters of Lake Maggiore. The Palm Island of Switzerland. Unlike the luxury resort islands artificially carved into the Red Sea, however, everything here is natural. A good 10,000 years ago, melting glaciers transformed the southern edge of the Alps into an alpine lake landscape. The Maggia River has been persistently filling the northern edge of Lake Maggiore with sand for just as long, pushing its own delta further and further into the lake. In another one or two thousand years, Ascona and Locarno will each have their own lake. Free land reclamation. The sheikhs looking for a summer holiday should like that.
Well, without ever having had a look at the property prices in this exclusive part of Ticino, I won't let the properties down there be my concern. Especially as the terrain is more my cup of tea when I look ahead: the gondola floats silently over a dense mixed forest of chestnut, maple and beech trees. Occasionally, lush palm fronds peek out of the thicket of leaves. You can't see the forest floor from up here, but the display on my GPS reveals a wildly jagged hairpin bend trail that makes its way down into the valley right next to the cable car track.
Patric has noticed my gaze and grins. "From the Cardada, trails head down in all directions," he reveals. "Most of them are quite challenging in terms of riding technique. So I rarely ride these trails with guests." Patric Käslin is the head of the Ticino Freeride bike school. For a good five years, he and a handful of colleagues have been working to establish Lake Maggiore and its trails as a worthwhile biking destination in the minds of the community. "In recent years, word of the trails here has got around more and more," says Patric. "We now have a lot to do during the season. But we can't talk about a run yet."
A short transfer takes you from the mountain station of the ultra-modern cable car to the jerky chairlift, which looks like a relic from your grandfather's time with its covered panoramic seats. In winter, there is a small ski carousel on Locarno's local mountain, Cardada, whose only attraction is probably the gigantic view down over Lake Maggiore. The age of the chairlift alone suggests that ski tourism is not one of the most important sources of income at these latitudes. In summer, however, the lift offers bikers easy access to a whole range of interesting trails. "The Cardada trail was the first official freeride trail on Lake Maggiore, just right for warming up," announces Patric. "However, the trails are not reserved for mountain bikers. So there may also be pedestrians on the trail."
From the striking summit cross of Lo Stallone, the trail initially follows a wider cart track. There are small tables here and there. Short root carpets keep the attention high, small rocks encourage you to jump in the middle of the path. But from the eastern ridge of the Cardada, the trail builders have really let off steam. The trail surges downwards like a bermed marble run. The surface soon becomes more technical and rough again, requiring a good eye for line choice. At the end, the trail relaxes again in front of a great panoramic backdrop before finding its way back to the cable car valley station above Minusio. A successful start, no doubt about it!
We take a seat on the shuttle bus for the afternoon tour. It takes us to Locarno and then straight up the climb to Corona dei Pinci. Although the metres in altitude we've covered under our own steam so far are limited, our stomachs are getting hungry. So Patric parks the bus halfway up the mountain road and leads us along a path into the forest. After a five-minute walk, we reach a typical "grotto", as the mountain farms are called here. Built of thick stone walls and covered in slate, the farmhouse is tucked into the hillside. The sun terrace offers a view to kneel down for: of Lake Maggiore lying deep below. The non-existent menu presents cheese, polenta and home cooking - for the hard-working mountain people. If you're smart after this meal, take your bike and pedal a few metres uphill to digest. I opt for a faint-like power nap on the shuttle bus and only come round again at the start of the trail.
It is difficult to describe the Corona dei Pinci as a mountain in its own right. The wooded Mugel is much more a ridge offshoot of the mighty Monte Limidarios, which towers a good 2000 metres above the lakeshore. The Mugel becomes a playground for bikers thanks to its accessibility via the road - and its trails, which wind their way up from here in all directions towards the valley. Pascal takes the "official" bike trail, which leads roughly northwards with various loops. The trail runs entirely through dense mountain forest. But the surface leaves little room for contemplation anyway. Root carpets, stone slabs and tight hairpin bends alternate with wonderfully flowing sections. Then high stone steps again demand full concentration on this old charcoal burner's path. From the crossroads at the village of Arcegno, we enter a veritable labyrinth of trails. Welcome to the after-work circuit of the local enduro locals! Back on the seafront promenade in Ascona, we immediately stand out in our freeride gear. In this rather dignified ambience, downhill bikers are obviously far from being part of the street scene. But maybe I'll discover an oil well in my garden and then I'll settle here.
Ralf Glaser, BIKE tour author:
Lake Maggiore is still a long way from being a mountain bike run. But the most important ingredients are there: Lake, shuttle, cable car - and above all: plenty of nature trails!
AREA HIGHLIGHTS
Lake Maggiore is only at the beginning of its development into a mountain bike region. Tourism there favours culture and a rather dignified ambience. However, it is precisely this contrast that makes a bike trip to Ticino so appealing.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The precinct
The canton of Ticino is the southernmost canton in Switzerland and also marks the lowest point in the country at Lake Maggiore, 193 metres above sea level. The official language in Ticino is Italian, and the locals communicate with each other in Italian or Lombard. However, you can also communicate quite well in German, at least with the part of the population that is involved in tourism. After Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake on the southern edge of the Alps. It stretches for a good 65 kilometres and reaches the foothills of the Alps in the south before the Po Valley. The Italian provinces of Piedmont and Lombardy share a good 80 per cent of the lake's surface area. Only the northernmost section of the lake belongs to Switzerland. This is also where the main Swiss towns on the lake are located. Ascona and Locarno are largely built on the delta of the River Maggia and are also separated by it. With just under 16,000 inhabitants, Locarno is the larger of the two towns.
Bike tours
For around two years, the Ascona-Locarno region has been working on strengthening mountain bike tourism. This means that development is still in its infancy. Only three trails are currently designated as official bike trails and have been optimised accordingly for biking. The mountains around the lake naturally harbour far more potential and offer many interesting trails. However, as these trails have not been optimised for biking, the level of difficulty is often higher here. If you want to go on a trail tour away from the designated routes, you should be able to master the S2 level of difficulty quite confidently to really have fun. A few paths that are frequently used by pedestrians are explicitly closed for biking. If you follow the self-evident rules of respectful behaviour towards paths and other recreational users, you can ride the other trails around the lake without any problems.
Ropeways
Both the Orselina-Cimetta cable car and the Cimetta-Cardada chairlift transport bikes without any problems. The lifts operate in summer from the beginning of March until the end of the first week of November. Information on operating times and prices: www.cardada.ch
Bike school
The Ticino Freeride School run by guide Patric Käslin offers guided tours, riding technique training and a shuttle service in summer. Information and booking online at: www.ticinofreeride.ch
Bike park
Not a bike park as such, but a very challenging downhill piste can be found on nearby Monte Tamaro. It starts at the middle station of the cable car and offers a few jumps at the beginning before finding its way down into the valley over a mix of forest floor, root passages and rock gardens. The condition of the route has been very variable over the last few years, ranging from very well maintained to catastrophic. However, the cable car to Monte Tamaro is also a good starting point for tours on this mountain. Info: www.montetamaro.ch
Maps
- Supertrail maps "Ascona/Locarno e Valli", "Lugano" and "Mendrisio" 16.95 euros each (also available as an app for mobile phones), www.supertrailmap.com
- Singletrail-Map 016 Ticino/Sotto Ceneri, 18,50 CHF (approx. 16,50 Euro), www.singletrailmap.ch
Best touring time
Locarno is considered the warmest town in Switzerland. A long-term annual average of 12.4 degrees Celsius was measured here - a Mediterranean climate in which palm and lemon trees also thrive. On the other hand, of course, the high mountain influence is also noticeable. The mountains in the immediate vicinity of Locarno, such as the Cima dell'Uomo, rise to almost 2500 metres. On Locarno's local mountain, the 1670 metre-high Cimetta, the snow is gone by mid-March at the latest. However, as the interesting local trails start in the upper reaches of the mountains, the bike season usually starts at the beginning of April but then continues well into November. The best time to visit is autumn. This is when the vast deciduous forests glow in all shades of colour.
SCENE SPECIALS
Tamaro Bike Trophy
Two-day mountain bike race that usually opens the Swiss cross-country season every year at the beginning of April as part of the Swiss Bike Cup. The date for 2018 has not yet been finalised. Info: www.swissbikecup.ch
XC Monte Verità
The Ascona MTB Expedition bike club regularly organises a cross-country race on Monte Verità, above Locarno, in autumn. Date: 1 October 2017, details of the race to be announced. Info: www.mtbexpedition.ch
Monte Tamaro and Monte Lema
Monte Tamaro (1961 m) and Monte Lema (1621 m) await on the eastern side of Lake Maggiore. Both peaks offer a gigantic panoramic view which, on a clear day, extends as far as Monviso in the Western Alps. A cable car takes you uphill (April to early November), and downhill there are plenty of bike trails in all directions. Some trails have been created especially for bikers, but have nevertheless retained their alpine character. A certain level of riding technique is therefore necessary to have fun here.
Full moon walk
On Monte Lema, the cable car also takes you to the summit at night on 6 October 2017. Under a full moon, the walk along the ridge between Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano is a very special experience.
You can read this article or the entire BIKE 10/2017 issue in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK shop reorder:
