Monte Totoga

Monte Totoga was heavily fortified during the First World War and a defensive line was built. Today, a military road with 48 hairpin bends that rides almost all the way to the summit and an endless trail descent are reminders of days gone by.

Description

The starting point of the tour is Port on the Strada della Cortella at the confluence of the Torrente Vanoi and Torrente Cismon. From here, the route runs parallel to the former military road through the Val Vanoi, before turning right up an unbeatable 48 hairpin bends (!) with a constant gradient to the summit of Monte Totoga. On a very homogeneous surface, you pedal pleasantly up to an altitude of around 1600 meters above sea level. Again and again you have views of the mountains and the valleys of Trentino. Shortly after the Rifugio Forestale San Giovanni Guadalberto, a huge peak is carved into the mountain. If you have a headlamp or a good mobile lamp with you, you can explore it. From this point, you can only push or carry yourself to the summit of Monte Totoga (1700 meters above sea level). There are fantastic views of the Vanoi valley, the Lagorai chain and the Brocon and 5 Croci passes. These points were also heavily contested between Austria/Hungary and the Italian Empire during the First World War.

The descent runs from the summit on difficulty S2 to the summit positions. Then you surf down the military road, with the next downhill following in the first bend on the right. The descent to Chiesetta di San Silvestro is on difficulty levels S1 to S2 and is relatively exposed in places, but not too difficult. A seemingly endless descent ends at the viewpoint of this church. Built directly vertically into the mountain, it is an absolute panoramic hotspot. From the church onwards, the trail becomes more difficult and moves to S2, occasionally S3. The descent here should not be underestimated, especially in wet conditions and in the fall. At an altitude of around 750 meters above sea level, you briefly join a forest road before continuing on a trail cutter towards the bottom of the valley. You pedal back along the main road, including side roads, past Lago dello Schenér, an amazing reservoir, and then constantly downhill along the cycle path parallel to the eternally long tunnel to the starting point. All in all, an impressive tour with plenty of trails and a historical background, which is particularly impressive in the solitude and tranquillity of autumn.

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