Mottarone - Armeno

Starting from the summit of Mottarone, head down the marked trail along the wide curve, which also offers the option of descending toward Stresa (Borromeo private road) on the left as you go down. Difficulty: S1. It’s fun and leads directly to the ridge, where it rejoins the road shortly afterward (cross at 45.866581, 8.459261), then descends to the right (it’s marked).

So far, so good—except when you try to enter the “Verbano jungle.” It’s truly embarrassing how neglected the trails sometimes are.

If it weren’t for the GPS, we would have definitely gotten lost. From Alpe Farfossa to Alpe Lovaga, the trail has practically disappeared. The worst part, however, comes when you head from Alpe Mariuccia toward Alpe Ciunetta.

It’s practically a thicket of brambles, and there are serious problems continuing along the trail. If you find yourself in the middle of it, keep going until you reach the Ondella Trail. From there, it’s rideable all the way down to Armeno. Be careful on the way back up, because motorcycles speed up the hill on the road and often knock over bicycles.