Val Dogna CAI 601

A short but very interesting route. After leaving your car in Chiut, head up the well-known forest road toward the Bieliga Pass; the trail then continues to the San Leopoldo mountain hut (water), before retracing your steps along the same route until you reach the four-way intersection below the pastures of the pass. Here, take Trail 601 (look for a red arrow on a rock; the trail is hard to spot due to forestry work). At this point, the trail winds along the extremely steep slopes of Monte Sechieiz, initially with a long traverse and then with an endless series of tight switchbacks. A truly evocative and wild setting in a sparse black pine forest, with a perfect surface completely free of rocks, and often extremely narrow switchbacks that require excellent technique (S2-S3), but the constant and severe exposure dominates the entire route, forcing a very controlled descent and, at times, even requiring you to walk your bike.

This route is definitely reserved for experienced riders; falling is absolutely forbidden. You reach the paved road a few hundred meters further down the valley from the exit of the much better-known route that descends from Cuel Tarond; while the proposed route cannot compete with that one in terms of length or scenic features, it is certainly superior from a technical standpoint. A must-try at least once.