Monte delle Scale

Nice tour above Bormio that includes reaching the Cancano lakes and for those who want to the summit of Monte delle Scale (not mandatory). Spacious views of all the Alps in the Stelvio area. Not strenuous but constant steep climb on dirt road if you avoid the summit, while if you want to get to the cross the last 200 meters are shoulder bike with pieces of lanyard.

Once at the lakes go to the Torri di Fraele to take a trail that leads us to the descent with a long traverse and lots of up and down, some of it steep.

The descent is initially a nice trail with several quite narrow but fun hairpin bends, then it has some technical points and exposed sections that must be tackled with bike in hand (there is a section with steel rope to secure oneself, if one wants) but one should not suffer from vertigo and it is better if you wear shoes with good grip, because the bottom is slippery and slipping can lead to big trouble as you can see from the photo below, where the trail passes over a rock overhang.

Past the narrow butt piece the trail becomes fun and doable again in the saddle, among the lodgepole pines and with gentle inclines. It gets easier and easier the further down you go, and you are able to pick up some speed before arriving on the paved road that takes us back to the starting point.

Video: