Monte Gioco, Pizzo Rabbioso, discesa su Bracca

All mountain in Val Brembana, two peaks for a very challenging ride. Start from San Pellegrino and after about 600 comfortable meters we reach Salvarizza, from here we leave the asphalt to reconnect afterwards via a beautiful traverse, slightly uphill but almost all rideable.

We leave the asphalt again this time to climb to Monte Gioco. The path in front of us makes us understand that it will be a very challenging climb, after the first 50 meters pedalable by emtb it is all pushing and very shoulder (in emtb there are many passagi difficult to do even with the walk so if you want to do it with the motor here you have to pay a token) the environment is however spectacular and within about 40 minutes you reach the summit.

It is possible to avoid this part of the tour and make it all rideable via the northernmost trail that goes around Game Mountain (trail S1/2) or I was told there is also a parallel trail to the south that I will try sooner or later

After catching my breath admiring the view the first descent begins, which for the first 150 meters is a very vertical S4. From the junction below Mount Zucchin it becomes a very scenic S2/S3 that has of difficult only the several switchbacks and a few passages towards the end of the descent.

Arriving in Lepreno by deviating north there is a fountain. We continue following the trail for a while and then deviate to a nice path that with a short eat and drink comes out on the "pipe trail" a beautiful all guided S1 traverse, slightly exposed to the left (at the beginning of this traverse they have closed the trail with a mattress net, easily climbed over, no private property signs are present).

In Frerola we follow to Pradai and find ourselves in a very challenging climb (15% with gravel bottom, white so reflecting the sun), after 150 meters we deviate following the Pizzo Rabbioso markings in a path initially rideable only in Emtb, then almost all also in Mtb, about 30/50 meters from the summit we have to push.

From the summit of Pizzo Rabbioso we admire the beautiful ridge that we will have to ride to reach the other cross, in 5 minutes we ride beautiful the ridge, an exposed S5 trail to be done practically all by pushing.

From the second cross of Pizzo Rabbioso a beautiful S4/S3 descent begins.

We pass near Cima Camozzera and jump into a beautiful trail that descends to Bracca in the woods with lots of technical switchbacks, we ford the river and the trail becomes a nice rocky S3 very exposed to the left (watch out!), at the next fork we raise the bar and the trail becomes a nice S4 seemingly on nice rock with lots of grip. It climbs up from on a steep road and then takes an eat and drink traverse that is not very rideable and then continues on the beautiful technical S2/S3 trail that comes out at Sottoripa and becomes an S3 before finally coming out on the bike path downstream.

Personal considerations: I found the descent from Pizzo Rabbioso very beautiful, I was not too thrilled with the one from Monte Gioco, the traverse connecting Lepreno with Frerola was beautiful, the ascent from Frerola I do not recommend as a first ascent because of the commitment. Avoid doing it in full sun.

Trail style: AM

Personal rating: 7/10

MTB: yes

EMTB: yes (if you can shoulder it)

Duration about 6.5h (in mtb)

Portage: yes

Difficulty climb: easy first part, then very challenging second part

Difficulty descent: average S3/S4; S1/S2 the central traverse

Drainage: ND