Premilcuore: Tiravento e Torre Montalto

A great combination of two classic descents in the Premilcuore area: Tiravento and Torre Montalto. A varied and challenging route that alternates between flowing sections, exposed ridges, trial-style passages over rock, and technical sections where precision and control of the e-bike make all the difference. The route starts from the Premilcuore parking lot, taking the paved climb toward Fiumicello. Continue along the road leading to Passo della Braccina until you reach an elevation of 747 m above sea level, where you turn left onto the forest road that climbs at a steady gradient toward Monte Grosso, following the CAI 311 trail. Once you reach the intersection with CAI 313, turn left and you’ll finally enter the heart of the first descent: the Tiravento. The start is fairly smooth and allows you to get a feel for the terrain, but the trail soon changes character, giving way to rocky steps and a spectacular stretch along the ridge, with a few exposed sections that require caution. The route alternates between short ups and downs and smooth sections, maintaining an average difficulty level of S2, while still featuring a few more technical sections and rocky steps that require the right amount of determination to tackle.

Just before reaching Monte Tiravento, turn right onto CAI 331, heading down the descent toward Torre Montalto. Here, too, the trail starts off with a flowing feel, but the pace gradually changes: the terrain becomes more technical and trial-like, with sections over rock and steps, some of which are exposed. The average difficulty is rated S3, with a couple of sections reaching S4 that require good bike control. Once past the tower, the trail becomes smoother again, with an S2 difficulty rating, before presenting one last decidedly challenging section: an S3-rated singletrack characterized by small rocks and loose stone, which tests your riding precision and line-choosing skills. After a short climb near the mountain hut, a final flowing section leads to the Trattoria del Cervo (with a final climb). From here, you return to the paved road to climb up to the crest at 757 m above sea level, where a new uphill section begins—this time on a rough dirt road—by taking the trail on the left.

The first section is still rideable, but the situation changes rapidly: a succession of rocky steps makes progress increasingly challenging, reducing rideability to about 70–80% (even on foot, these steps are decidedly “troublesome”). With a bit of leg strength and determination, you’ll finally reach the crest at the intersection with CAI 313, the trail that descends from Tiravento. Here, turn right onto a beautiful singletrack that flows quickly and is fun in the first part, then becomes more technical in the wooded section, with S1–S2 difficulty. But it’s on the next stretch of the ridge that the trail once again shows its toughest side, reaching S3 and offering a truly interesting trial-style section on rock, with a series of technical, steep, and exposed switchbacks. Continue along the ridge to the final section, which is once again very technical. Be careful at the fork: keep to the left, because the trail that continues to the right is significantly more challenging. The correct route continues over steps, boulders, and technical sections—with an average difficulty of S2 and some S3 sections—until it brings you back to Premilcuore. From here, all that’s left is to reach the parking lot and wrap up a loop that packs two distinct descents into a single route: flow, rock, exposed ridges, and technical sections, with constant changes in pace and difficulty. This is a route that requires solid riding technique and careful attention, especially on the most exposed sections.