Giro dell'Ortles estremo

Extreme and epic ride. Only for real ravers who like to suffer. Before organizing the tour I studied all the possible variants in the area so that I could adjust the shot. But this time, unfortunately, we did not evaluate well the snow variable that complicated the passage over the glacier on the first day to the Casati refuge to the unthinkable. We decided to do the tour with the emtb but perhaps it was not the best choice while the wisest would have been to turn around in front of the glacier. But in the end what an adventure would it have been if everything had gone perfectly?

DAY 1 Solda - Cevedale glacier.

Start from Solda with the intention of going up the last day by bus from Prato allo Stelvio. Direction Madriccio Pass, the climb is pedaled but very challenging (gondola for those who want to save 500 meters), after more ramps made even more challenging by snow, with Gran Zebrù and Ortles peak watching us, we finally arrive at Madriccio Pass (3120 meters), spectacular view!

We descend the first few meters on snow and then after several S3 passes the beautiful descent becomes S2 nice and smooth. Arrived at the Nino Corsi refuge, we get ready to go back up to the Casati, the climb is very challenging and up to the wall before the Gelato Lake pass even with emtb is not always rideable. Arriving just before the glacier, we are presented with a wall of about 150 meters on vertical trail with snowy sections. Shouldering the emtb with loaded backpack is impossible, we help ourselves with a lanyard: one pushes and the other pulls, with much effort we reach the pass. We are at an altitude of 3050 and the Casati refuge is there looking at us from 200 meters higher, but the glacier still awaits us to cross. Common sense tells us to turn back, but we see a beaten track, the urge to reach the goal is great, we decide to continue, put on crampons and advance.

It had snowed a week earlier (perhaps more than we had been told on the phone) and despite the heat of the previous days the snow is still high.

We follow a track on the already groomed snow, but instead of following the faster route in the middle of the glacier, it goes further north.

So to avoid the possible crevasses that were covered by snow in the middle of the glacier the track passes under the ridge below the Solda peak. From a straight track it becomes a continuous up and down in extra snow (dumped from the ridge), and several passages over rock.

The 200m of elevation gain became 400 (or maybe more); the 40kg of bike on the shoulder and backpack made the crampons sink several inches into the snow. Again, the lanyard helped on rock passages where energy starts to run out. In some sections I was literally advancing by throwing the bike forward a foot at a time into the snow. The legs were moving by inertia but every step was an ordeal. I don't deny that I thought at least twice about leaving the bike and coming back for it the next day. I think I pulled out energy I didn't think I had. In short, after 4-5h of ravaning we finally kiss the floor of the Casati. Worn out from the day we stop for the night, leaving the adventure behind.

DAY 2 Zebrù Pass-Stelvio Pass.

We descend on a beautiful descent to the Pizzini hut carrying the bike 100 meters because of snow and ice. From here we climb it to Zebrù pass almost all rideable with emtb. From the Zebrù pass (3000 meters) the descent is spectacular, at times technical S3/S4 but mostly flowing S2. From the junction of the Quinto Alpini hut it becomes more trivial; but in a section where it is landslide the trail forces us to an unsympathetic passage, towards the end the descent becomes interesting again S3. From the Baita del Pastore the trail becomes a carrale where at first with a little imagination one can indulge in the fields but then it becomes obligatory and beautiful only scenically.

After 10 km slightly downhill and still in a beautiful environment we finally arrive at some little path that with often zero difficulty after another 8 km brings us up to Bagni Vecchi on the road that goes up to the Stelvio (we hide the crampons that we will take back on the way back). Here the plan was to reach the Stelvio pass, climbing to the Rims tip from a trail above the Cancano lakes and then descending from a trail (which should be nice) to the Umbrail pass or ascending from the asphalt.

Too exhausted from the previous day's adventure we decide to reach the Stelvio pass by asphalt, luckily the "Stelvio day" a day completely closed to traffic was taking place that day. Calmly and patiently we ride up to the pass while hundreds of bikes whizzing in the opposite direction without the stress of traffic, spectacular!

At the pass we take the famous Tibet trail, and here I must say I was disappointed, it's basically a trail with no particular difficulty carved into the scree of the rocks but apart from a few hairpin bends it doesn't have much technicality. I'm starting to miss the rocky Bergamasque! In fact, before the end of the trail we decide to head back up to the pass for the night.

DAY 3 Goldsee BimBam.

The plan was to follow the Goldsee trail to Prato allo Stelvio. I turn on the bike and find it empty, had I not had the previous day's adventures behind me I would have pedaled it all the way but since energy was now low we decide to shorten the ride and see on the way.

We climb to the Garibaldi refuge and start the famous trail. Again a brief disappointment, the trail continues in an environment that is certainly spectacular but, in a half-hill with nothing special, quite narrow and exposed. We arrive at the 'Bim Bam trail' detour and jump in headfirst, finally the suspension begins to work properly and the smile rises, the adrenaline also rises and the front end slips resulting in a broken brake lever and cracked thumb. We catch our breath, and I reattach the lever that you wouldn't believe MacGyver (it finally held all day). We descend to Trafoi where we take the chairlift back to Forcola, the Goldsee trail would continue to Prato allo Stelvio with another 400 meters of positive elevation gain. We have 6000 meters in our legs, a glacier, sore hand, and I zero battery. We decide not to continue on the trail and thus descend directly. From the chairlift we spot an interesting trail, but on Orux we see one that goes further down category S4 with zero online reviews. We decide to find out what it is like.

We take that one is trail 12, clean but too challenging for our energy, all super-technical switchbacks and a chain passage where you have to pass the bike in your hand, Fabio manages to close a few passages, I don't trust my hand and I go down almost the whole trail with the bike pushing. At the junction of trail 12A we veer left and it becomes more doable. We finally reach the valley, I'm out of it, going into binge mode while Fabio goes back up to get the car in Solda.

Trail Style: AM/Mountaineering Cycle.

Personal rating: views 10/10; Descents 10/10 the good ones (see description)

MTB: yes

EMTB: no

Duration 3 days

Pushing/portage: yes very much

Difficulty climbing: see above

Difficulty descent: see above

Exposed: a few sections