Monte Ferra

Monte Ferra is the little brother of Monte Salza in the Cottian Alps. It’s an alpine mountain biking mountain for anyone who isn’t afraid of long portage sections and technical descents.

Description

The tour starts in Val Bellino near Sant'Anna. The route begins on asphalt and later switches to gravel, climbing steadily to the end of Val Bellino. At Pian Ceiol, you’ll follow the Sentiero U26 to gain more elevation. In some sections, you’ll have to carry your mountain bike. The landscape is impressive, and Cima Rocca Senghi, with its military installations, towers strikingly over the route. On the high plateau, you can ride your mountain bike again before continuing uphill to the right toward Monte Ferra in the cirque. At 3,094 meters above sea level, you reach the highest point of the tour, marked by a summit cross. Here, in the heart of the Cottian Alps, breathtaking panoramic views open up.

Then the descent begins. In the upper section, the route is somewhat exposed and alpine—rated S3 in difficulty—running over rock slabs and, in places, loose stones, gravel, and sand all the way to Lago Reisassa. After Lago Reisassa, the terrain remains similar at first, before the trail becomes somewhat smoother and settles into a difficulty level of S2 to S3. At an elevation of just under 2,300 meters above sea level, you’ll come across an old switchback mule trail that leads steadily downhill and becomes increasingly easier and smoother. The loop concludes at Sant’Anna.

To view the detailed tour description, the topo map, the altitude profile and to download the GPX track, you need a user account on Ride-mtb.com with a subscription. Log in now or become a subscriber.