Monte Prado

Trip taken on October 1, 2023; second day of the weekend #cusna area

We rely on the advice of locals and choose this ride, following the trail posted on the ride the giant website: "Between Earth and Sky"

From Ligonchio we follow the paved road to Pradarena Pass, reach and pass Ospitaletto and at the fifth hairpin bend (elevation 1276), take a dirt road on the left. We thus reach the Pradarena Pass at an altitude of 1576. Continue uphill to the left on a dirt road, arriving shortly at Passo della Comunella. We continue in the same direction (CAI 00) toward the distant Monte Prado. We will always follow the road, leaving on the left the direct path to Monte Sillano (which will then be bypassed on the Tuscan side); the trail first flattens out, then descends: be careful to take the path on the left (around elevation 1680) toward Le Porraie. As soon as we take the trail, it will force us to get off the bike briefly and then become bikeable again. We will return to the CAI 00 ridge near Monte Soraggio (pushing sections).

Now our direction is given by the CAI 00 trail: alternating sections on the ridge with others on its two sides, we will reach first Le Porraie, then the Romecchio Pass. In this long stretch the trail is always narrow and with some passages with the bike on the side, which require a lot of attention; overall, however, the bikeable part is preponderant, but it requires good technique in riding the bike. From the Romecchio pass the most tiring part of the tour begins: first pushing and pedaling up steep inclines to the Focerella, then loading the bike on the shoulder to reach Monte Castellino (it is almost 200 meters of elevation gain). Finally you can climb back into the saddle to reach the Sella del Monte Prado saddle at elevation 1920. Again you will alternate between pushing, short sections with bike on shoulder, and pedaled sections to finally reach the summit of Mount Prado at elevation 2054.

The very long descent to Passo delle Forbici begins in spectacular and lonely surroundings (a few very short climbs). Reaching the Pass with a last flowing section in the woods, we will take the comfortable forest road, still downhill, which will shortly lead to the Segheria Hut. We start climbing again, but this time by comfortable forest road, to Lamalite Pass (elevation 1781). Follow the road to Rifugio Bargetana where you take the Glenda trail, CAI 629A: simply wonderful! Reaching the forest road near the bridge over the Ozzola, we climb for about seventy meters of elevation gain until we take a dirt road on the right: with a long traverse with numerous falsopiano and ups and downs we will cross the Soraggio Forest until we reach the waterless reservoir of Lake Capriolo and finally the beginning of the descent to Presa Alta on the beautiful CAI 633. Flow along the entire trail with a few switchbacks that require good technique. From Presa Alta along the forest road to the mouth of the Decauville. Back on the forest road, shortly reaching Ligonchio.

We made only one final variation by taking the lower part of S-line: it comes off to the right from the descent on asphalt a few km before returning to lLgonchio. very long and challenging ride, also because of the almost obligatory shoulder-bike section on the ridge from pradarena pass to Monte Prado. the views and descents are priceless. In this season you are pedaling through an endless expanse of blueberries!

Once we arrive at Rifugio Segheria (excellent refreshment point) and climb back up to the Lama Lite passes, three more beautiful descents in the woods await us, non-trivial but enjoyable and never extreme. A true all mountain ride perhaps better suited to bikes than ebikes. Thanks to Paolo from Ride The Giant for this super treat he recommended!