Laghetti Ponteranica, Mincucco, Cantedolto

A very beautiful and well-rounded all-mountain ride that combines the climb to Piani dell'Avaro, the mountain biking detour to the Ponteranica Lakes, the descent from Mincucco, and finally the long and famous Cantedoldo descent. What makes this route unique is that the most mountain biking-oriented section can be bypassed: riders who don’t want to carry their bikes can skip the climb to the Ponteranica Lakes and stick to a much more rideable route. Otherwise, it’s a route suitable for both MTBs and e-MTBs, with generally moderate technical difficulty concentrated mainly on the descent from Mincucco.

Olmo al Brembo - Piani dell’Avaro

The route starts in Olmo al Brembo and tackles the long climb toward Piani dell’Avaro.

The road doesn’t have any particularly challenging gradients at first, allowing you to gain elevation steadily.

At Piani dell’Avaro, you can refill your water bottles near the playground.

You then continue on a paved road, this time with some significantly steeper sections.

Following the trail, turn left and continue on a well-rideable path up to an elevation of about 1,900 meters.

The last 50 meters or so may require you to get off your bike due to the loose surface.

Ponteranica Lakes Variant

From here, you can add the most mountain biking-oriented section of the route by climbing to the Ponteranica Lakes.

You’ll need to walk your bike and alternate between pushing and carrying it along the trail.

Overall, the route involves approximately 120–180 m of elevation gain during portage, concentrated mainly in this area.

With a standard MTB, a lighter bike naturally makes carrying it easier; with an E-MTB, the section remains manageable, but you need to be used to handling a heavy bike on a mountain trail.

Those who don’t want to tackle this part can simply skip the detour to the lakes.

Ponteranica Lakes – Mincucco

Once you reach the lakes, a beautiful descent begins along an alpine trail.

The initial difficulty remains aroundS2, in an open and scenic setting.

You then continue toward Mincucco, alternating between rideable sections and a few short stretches where you’ll need to push your bike again.

From here, one of the day’s most exciting descents begins.

Descent from Mincucco

The descent from Mincucco is mostly S2, but it’s important to note that it’s not a smooth, flowing S2.

The trail surface is quite rough and demanding, requiring active riding.

It is therefore a challenging S2: technically accessible to many riders, but decidedly more rugged than the subsequent descent from Cantedoldo.

Toward the end, there’s also a very short section—about 50 meters—where the difficulty increases sharply to around S3/S4.

It’s a localized section: those who don’t have the necessary skill level can safely walk through it without compromising the rest of the ride.

Therefore, the descent from Mincucco should not be interpreted as S4 overall.

Valmoresca

Continuing the descent, you’ll reach the area of the Valmoresca dam.

From here, you begin climbing again on a dirt road.

You’ll gain about 200 meters in elevation toward the San Marco Pass road before beginning the long stretch toward Cantedoldo.

After the most alpine part of the day, the character of the ride changes completely.

Cantedoldo Descent

You’ll then reach the Cantedoldo area, where one of the classic descents of the Upper Brembana Valley begins.

It’s a long, fast, and very fun descent, technically easier than the one at Mincucco.

The difficulty is mostly S2, alternating between very smooth sections—almost S1—and others that are more challenging.

There are only a few S3 sections, which are short and well-defined.

It’s therefore a run where even those not seeking high difficulty can easily find a good rhythm.

After the rougher terrain of the Mincucco, the Cantedoldo is probably the most enjoyable and continuous part of the day.

The route continues like this until it reaches the valley floor in the Averara area, where water is available once again.

Averara - Olmo al Brembo

Finally, there’s the classic route to Olmo al Brembo, avoiding the main road as much as possible.

It’s a fast and fun trail, featuring several sections where you can pick up speed.

The technical difficulty is generally moderate, but there are a few short exposed sections where you’ll need to slow down and pay attention.

Continue in this manner until you complete the loop by returning to Olmo al Brembo.

Difficulty: What to Actually Expect

Overall, the ride is more accessible than the alpine setting might suggest.

In fact, most of the descents are ratedS2.

However, the difficulty should be broken down into three parts:

Ponteranica Lakes: These require about 120–180 m of total elevation gain for pushing/carrying the bike. This is the most mountain-biking-oriented section and can be bypassed.

Mincucco: mostly S2, but on rough, physically demanding terrain. There is a very short section of about 50 m that is significantly more technical, roughly S3/S4.

Cantedoldo: predominantly S2, faster and smoother, with a few S3 sections.

It is therefore not a technically extreme route. Even riders who don’t normally tackle S4 can complete it, simply by putting a foot down or dismounting on the short, difficult section at Mincucco.

The challenge stems more from the overall length of the route and the elevation gain than from the difficulty of the individual descents.

Technical Details

Trail Style: All Mountain

MTB: Yes

E-MTB: Yes

MTB duration: about 8 hours

Carry: approx. 120–180 m elevation gain, mainly on the Ponteranica Lakes route

Routevariant without portage: possible by avoiding the climb to the small lakes

Ascent difficulty: generally easy to ride, with a few challenging stretches

Ponteranica Lakes: alpine setting, descent rated approximately S2

Mincucco: Challenging and rough S2, with about 50 m of S3/S4

Cantedoldo: mostly S2, with S1 sections and a few S3 passages

Overall descent difficulty: S2/S3

Maximum difficulty: a short, localized S3/S4 section on Mincucco

Exposure: a few short sections, especially in the final link to Olmo al Brembo

Drainage: Good

Water sources: Olmo al Brembo, Piani dell’Avaro, Averara

Views: 9/10

Descents: 9/10

Physical demand: High, especially due to the overall length

Highlight: Great variety: alpine setting at Ponteranica, the more natural and technical Mincucco, and the long final descent of Cantedoldo