Forum menu
A group of us were in Italy for the MotoGP race and decided to go and do a couple of days mountain biking around Lake Garda (Torbole). It fell to me to book transport and accommodation, which I did, but then I got landed with planning a route for the first day.
Had a look online and decided, as we'd only arrive at lunchtime on the first day, to drive up to the top of Monte Altissimo and do the 601 route back to Torbole. This decision was basically dictated by the fact that this was one of the few routes I could find details for!
Had a look around online and saw some nice photos of the route with people riding on 4" travel XC bikes, so opted to take the hardtail with me.
Most of the group had 5" travel trail bikes, but one turned up armed with a full on DH bike and another rented the same from one of the local shops. Oh, how we laughed at just how overbiked they were going to be.
Oh, how they laughed when we hit the steep and very rocky stuff on the Adrenaline Line! It was rideable on a hardtail, but it was hard work and my whole body got a battering.
Then I managed to smash my rear mech off on a rock, breaking the mech hanger and twisting the chain so it couldn't be used again. So half the descent was done freewheeling with no chain!
Oh, did I mention we arrived late, it went dark halfway down and the only light source we had was a cigarette lighter?
It was a real catalogue of disasters, but by far the best mountain bike trip I've ever been on! I don't think we stopped laughing all the way down!
We will definitely be returning to Garda in the very near future, but may spend more time on the planning next time!
the chain so it couldn't be used again
Usually simple to straighten?
As for planning Lake Garda routes, what you want are these 2 books:
[url= http://www.amazon.de/Guide-Bd-11-Gardasee-Elmar-Moser/dp/376881002X ]http://www.amazon.de/Guide-Bd-11-Gardasee-Elmar-Moser/dp/376881002X[/url]
[url= http://www.amazon.de/Guide-Bd-12-Gardasee-Elmar-Moser/dp/3768810011/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b ]http://www.amazon.de/Guide-Bd-12-Gardasee-Elmar-Moser/dp/3768810011/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b[/url]
they are a getting a bit old now in terms of route difficulty descriptions (written before the advent of decent mtb technology) but the routes are ace nonetheless. access rights to some of the paths may have changed too, especially around pianaura IIRC.
many of the routes described there (and more) can probably be found as GPS tracks here:
http://www.gps-tour.info/de/touren/gesamtes-tourenarchiv/mountainbike.html?search_federal=&search_country=&search_words=garda&submit_button=suchen
a lot of the info for rides around lake garda on the internet will be in german though as it's a major destination for them, so if you understand a little of it, you'll find getting info much easier. it's a fantastic place to ride though.
My attempt at 601 in July failed when I got to the gondola and found out the next bike uplift was in 3 hrs time.... No uplift available, so back along the lake to the beach in Riva. Heard interesting things about that trail though, from "massively exposed and unrideable" to a must-do. Next time.
BTW - Tremalzo and Maxx are also good routes, both very different.
I would say the 601 route is both "massively exposed and unrideable" and a must-do all at the same time! Actually, we managed to ride all of it from Altissimo to Torbole, but we did struggle on some sections and there were quite a few crashes along the way.
Will definitely try Tremalzo and Maxx next time. Just out of interest, how hot was it in July?
Many thanks for the pointers tamworthcrowd, I will check out the links.
This is one of my favourites just dont do it in the wet. The grey rock becomes slick.
really was my kind of riding and rode it all on a 'steep' 2006 Orange 5. my mate on a Ransom ran out of skill a few times but def a better bike for it.
We rode up, had lunch at the top and then razzed down it.
mega.
I rode the Mt Tremalzo route on my own last week, so took it easy, but its a great ride. I hired a 4" Cannondale from Carpentari bike shop in Torble and used their uplift service.
Bike hire was approx half the cost of Morzine BTW.
Want to go back for a proper biking week next year.
i've been on the lake almost every week (albeit only for two days at a time) over the summer.
there are so many trails criss-crossing the place it's unreal.
yes the 601 is a must-do trail, but more for the (euro) free-ridey types.
i did it with a colleague a few weeks back. me on my DB Alpine and he on a 4" FS XC thingy.
the thing with Garda though, is that it has become a place to be seen. few people who go there ride more than 500m up. instead they ride the Ponale Strada - which is 'nice' but in comparison to what's available, it's shit - and then sit by the harbour and count how many people glanced at their bikes.
alot of people there are also over-biked and rely on the 180mm of travel and protection to get them down the hills.
it's a great place, but there are other spots that aren't victims of their own success....
i'll still be going back there next year, mind.
oh, and a mate and his cousin landed a job to ride all the trails in the northern Lake Garda region and to value them in terms of technical difficulty (the trails am Lago are generally more challenging than elsewhere) for a book publisher..... lucky bastid.
[img] 
[/img]