Colle Losetta
Description
The starting point of the tour is the small village of Castello directly on the Lago artificiale di Castello in Valle Varaita. From here, you head north along the Vallone di Vallanta, along the stream to the mountain pastures. The route struggles uphill towards Rifugio Vallanta on a variety of gradients and surfaces. The view towards Monviso with its breathtaking 3841 meters above sea level sweetens the flair of the ascent. From the height of the Rifugio, the bike has to be pushed and carried. The ascent is not only surrounded by legendary mountain ridges and panoramic views, but wild animals can also be spotted time and again. Particularly at the Colle Losetta pass (2872 meters above sea level), you will often see whole herds of ibex, which are not reminiscent of the Western Alps, but rather of a zoo. Curious as these animals are, they wait patiently for what is to come. If you get too close to them, they get up and walk away in the knowledge that they are the sole rulers of the steep rocks. At the pass, there is a fantastic panoramic view and old fragments from the 1930s can be seen. However, caution is advised here, as some of the buildings are already collapsing due to the severe weather conditions at this altitude.
The descent heads west and there is only one word for it: "flow". You surf the entire valley on a difficulty of S1 to a maximum of S2 up to the pass road to Gr. dell'Agnello. Only at the hairpin bend do you return to asphalt and civilization. One of the most impressive and breathtaking trails in this area, even if the difficulty is not really high, the length and structure of this natural jewel is gigantic. You return to the starting point on small forest and meadow paths, past Pontechianale, south of the reservoir, before concluding the tour. Conclusion: A great tour that is particularly attractive in autumn and where you can see ibex from a few meters away. Also a true trail monster with a singletrail descent of over ten kilometers.
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Details of the tour
24 km
1340 m
1340 m
1567 above sea level
2837 above sea level
1 day
Castello
Castello
2178
limited
More information
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User comments (2)
About the author: Martin Depauli
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
The uphill is very steep and not rideable without an e-bike. The fun is limited.
We did the tour on 20.07.2024.
The "ascent" consists largely of pushing and carrying. An e-bike would certainly be fine up to the Rifugio, but not a good idea due to the carrying passage that follows...
The descent is already at S2 level in the upper section, but then becomes quite flowy as described and is actually an absolute highlight for us in this valley (together with the Monte Pelvo - Col Blanchet).