Bocchetta di Forcola
Description
The tour starts on the Umbrail Pass, which can be reached by post bus. Immediately after the pass, a trail turns off to the right towards Bocchetta di Forcola. Follow this pleasantly ascending path until you have to push your bike for the last few meters. After the Bocchetta, the route continues over the Bocchetta di Pedenolo to the Laghi di Fraéle. The easy trail leads through rocky terrain and is an impressive spectacle. Later you reach the Passo Val Mora, take a first-class singletrail into Val Mora and climb up to Döss Radond. The long descent back to Sta. Maria begins here. Follow the signposted mountain bike route, but take the singletrail alternatives wherever possible. Once you reach the ridge far below, a singletrail branches off to the right. This fun trail leads directly to the main road between Valchava and Sta. Maria - a real trail firework display at the end.
Map & GPX-Track
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Details of the tour
46 km
790 m
1890 m
1 day
Santa Maria
Santa Maria
1221
well suited
More information
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User comments (12)
About the author: Thomas Giger
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
We rode the tour yesterday. We took the bus up to the Stilfzerjoch. The only thing worthwhile there is the view in the disfigured concrete desert. The trail to the Umbrail Pass was closed due to construction work - we rode the lower part anyway - it's a wide highway. My recommendation: Get off at the Umbrailpass.
The trail to Brocchetta die Forcola is a dream: although it always climbs, it's beautiful to ride and the view towards the Bormio valley. You have to push the last two bends to the pass, but everything else is rideable. At the top, you are rewarded with a magnificent view over several valleys.
After two bends on a military road, you reach the next trail through a gravel pile. Those who like rock gardens will have fun here, others will have to push.
We then took the right-hand hiking trail to Brocchetta di Pedenolo, as this is rideable. At the top, you can cycle along the military road to Brocchetta di Pedenoletto. Here, too, there is a wonderful view of the Bormio valley.
Then it's an unspectacular descent along the military road. About halfway down, you can leave the road and take a trail that crosses it again and again. At the end, it goes down the rock face - a wide gravel path with a wonderful view!
At the bottom, we went to the Lago di Cancano restaurant to refuel and top up our bottles. We continued to Lago di St. Giacomo on an easy trail below the road. At the end of the lake, we turned right into Val Mora - another gem on this tour. It's worth stopping every now and then to enjoy the scenery. The trail is also strenuous but a treat.
After the long tour, you will need some energy for the next longer ascent, as it is a long one. On the other hand, you can concentrate more on the meadows and meandering Aua da Val Mora and enjoy them.
For the descent to Val Müstair, you need full concentration again so that you can enjoy the technical trail.
One of the most beautiful tours in Switzerland!
This tour is simply a dream in terms of scenery. I was there at the end of July 2024 and enjoyed it to the full. As already described, the technical trail challenges are not that great. But there is probably no better opportunity to really enjoy this wonderful area. Allow plenty of time, as the trail is quite long, and be sure to book in advance in the Postbus.
Was there on 22.7. By post bus to Umbrailpass. All in all, the riding was rather boring over long stretches. The path through the "seemingly impassable flank" is indeed spectacular, but in terms of driving technique it is actually largely a small road. However, the descent is really steep. Without a motor, it's quite a drag until the descent to Sta. Maria at Döss Radond, where the riding fun finally begins again. A great, fairly long X-country tour, good for getting used to the area.
A fun and varied tour with an e-bike. Rifugio di Fraéle on Lago di Cancano is less crowded. Then ride the singletrail along the shore of Lago di San Giacomo. At Passo di Fraéle there is a spacious picnic area with drinking water and (in July 2024) a food truck with delicious hot panini etc.
After the first push, the trail would have been really 'pleasantly uphill' if I, as a flatland Indian, had had the breath. Otherwise a really great panorama. Up to the Bocchetta di Pedenolo there were still a few patches of snow, but nothing too bad. There are pubs along the two lakes where you can watch our species. As always, the scenery up Val Mora is absolutely superb, but also quite tough.
Postbus to Umbrail Pass for bikers + bikes -> reservation obligatory until 19 h the day before. With guest card (Val Müstair) public transport free of charge. Magnificent scenery: Ortler, Stilfser Joch, Lago di Fraele, Val Mora and singletrail fun to Sta. Maria. An all-round brilliant tour with everything a biker's heart could wish for. To the Bocchetta di Forcola everything is rideable except for the initial section and the end, refreshments available at Lago di Fraele. Val Mora is wonderfully scenic, I also like the trails in Val Mora, very varied overall.
The landscape is certainly very beautiful - but that's about it, in my opinion.
Technicians will be disappointed. The proportion of gravel road feels like 100%, the hard work never ends.
Once and never again!
After downloading the GPX track and transferring it to the navigation system, 880 m of elevation gain were displayed and also measured at the end.
A very scenic tour with great trail sections and a great singletrail finish at the end.
A classic par excellence - spectacular scenery - unfortunately the trail on the steep face is being converted into an Italian Superstrada .... : https://youtu.be/AHZuNb4UM3k
I think it's more likely that the trail has been cleared of accumulated gravel. There was no sign of any reconstruction.
And yes, an absolute landscape highlight.
Right at the start of the trail, we had to push the bike up a steep incline and wondered where the gently ascending trail was. But indeed: after this first hurdle, the trail was very pleasant until the push section up to the Forcola. As we're not technically up to it, we chose the easier descent via the Baita di Forcola (described on gps-tracks.com under the name Sta Maria-Livigno IV) The landscape and flora are fantastic throughout the tour. Only the stretch along the reservoirs is a bit boring. As expected, the stretch from Lago di S.Giaccomo di Fraele to Döss Radond had a lot of bike traffic. Tour data: length 44 km, elevation gain 750 m, our time 4 h. Please note: There is only one Postbus service a day (at 0920 hrs) to the Umbrail. A reservation for rider and mountain bike is obligatory and can also be made by telephone on Sunday.
Right at the start of the trail, we had to push the bike up a steep incline and wondered where the gently ascending trail was. But indeed: after this first hurdle, the trail was very pleasant until the push section up to the Forcola. As we're not technically up to it, we chose the easier descent via the Baita di Forcola (described on gps-tracks.com under the name Sta Maria-Livigno IV) The landscape and flora are fantastic throughout the tour. Only the stretch along the reservoirs is a bit boring. As expected, the stretch from Lago di S.Giaccomo di Fraele to Döss Radond had a lot of bike traffic. Tour data: length 44 km, elevation gain 750 m, our time 4 h. Please note: There is only one Postbus service a day (at 0920 hrs) to the Umbrail. A reservation for rider and mountain bike is obligatory and can also be made by telephone on Sunday.