Corno della Paura - Altissimo di Nago

A definitely longer and more challenging than average route, which repays with vast views of the Adige Valley, Lake #garda and all the surrounding peaks.

The start is from the Brentonico sports field, and after passing through the town center we continue for 12.5 km on asphalt until Polsa, where, at waypoint 02, the dirt road begins that will lead us first to Monte Vignola and then to Corno della Paura. From the overhang over the Adige Valley we descend, again on asphalt to San Valentino, from where the climb resumes, still asphalt, for another 5 km to the Graziani refuge at an altitude of 1620m. From the summit of the Altissimo and the Damiano Chiesa refuge separate us, now, 4 km and 430 m of elevation gain, when on our legs we already have 29 km and about 1500 m of ascent. It will be good to recover some energy at Graziani because this last effort will not exactly be a walk in health, the gravel bottom and at times the high gradient make this climb something mystical and the vision of the flags of the refuge appear to the biker's eyes, watered down by sweat, as a liberation from an invisible enemy clinging to the legs.

This is it ! after 34 km we are at the summit !!! Let's take our time to enjoy this spectacle, if it were not for the haze to the south, Lake Garda would appear under our feet as we see it on maps, such and such. Not to mention the 360° around us, free of all obstacles.

The descent begins on sent. 622 , bumpy and steep in a short stretch to Bocchetta Poltrane, from which we abandon 622 and take the path to the left that descends in tight switchbacks into Val del Parol, smoother than the previous one except for a couple of passages. Arriving in the valley we quickly reach Malga Campei at an altitude of 1470. We briefly retrace our steps and at the junction of waypoint 16 we push uphill for a few minutes, at the trailhead a very narrow and in places steep little path begins that descends to the forestry road about 100 m below, which we take by turning right.

We continue on the Brentegana road on a fast descent to the village of Brentonico, where the tour had started 7 hours earlier.

18/06/2022