Monte Vaccia

Monte Vaccia (Valle Stura)

Monte Vaccia with its panoramic high plateaus and countless abandoned military buildings offers a smooth and long trail descent into the Valle Stura.

Description

The route starts in the small hamlet of Pianche, west of Vinadio in Valle Stura. The route initially rides out of the valley on asphalt towards Bagni di Vinadio. A special curiosity awaits mountain bikers along the Torrente Corborant: at the abandoned "Terme di Vinadio", hot springs collect directly in the stream bed - a natural wellness break with lukewarm water included.

After passing through the village, the trail turns into a gravel track. It leads up to the remote mountain village of Luca, known for its bizarre-looking steel insects, which characterize the townscape in a surreal way. From here, the challenging part of the tour begins: the mountain bike is pushed or carried along steep serpentines - the trail leads up to a vast high plateau below Monte Vaccia.

Scattered across the terrain are dilapidated military buildings from the 19th century, which are silent witnesses to a bygone era. If you still have energy left, you can add the gentle climb to the summit of Monte Vaccia. Once at the top, a legendary panorama opens up over the entire Valle Stura - an impressive moment in the midst of alpine silence.

The descent begins with great views and soon leads into wooded areas. The trail is usually between S1 and S2 in terms of difficulty, but can become more challenging depending on the state of erosion and weather conditions (heavy rain, rockfall). The further down the valley you go, the easier the trail becomes - until you finally reach the starting point again above Pianche.

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