Passo della Losetta

Passo della Losetta (Val Varaita)

The Passo della Losetta is an experience in itself. Nowhere else can you get as close to the Monviso as from this pass below the mountain of the same name. For e-bikers with ambitions for tricky uphill trails, the variant through the Soustra valley and back the same way is the best option.

Description

This super tour has 21 of a total of almost 30 kilometers of singletrack - an absolute highlight in Val Varaita. We start in Pontechianale and cycle steeply uphill first on asphalt and later on a supply road heading west. At km 4.8, we turn left at a farmstead onto a single trail. The Sentiero Lanzetti leads sometimes uphill, sometimes downhill, always above the 2000-metre altitude line, initially through open terrain. The trail is quite easy to ride and really fun - you should treat it as an easy roll-in, because later it will really get down to business. At some point, the trail dips into the wooded slopes of the lower Soustratal and comes to the small Grange del Rio plateau. Here the trail turns right into the Soustratal, always along the "Varaita di Soustra" stream. The trail is easy at first up to a small mountain pasture, but later really shows its teeth. The deeper it goes into the valley, the steeper and more rocky it gets. Even our E-MTB pros Stefan Schlie and Harald Philipp are forced to push in sections on the upper part of the trail. Once you reach the pass, you have, as we said, the best view of the Monviso ever.

A trail starts up here on the other side into the Vallanta Valley and the temptation to ride it is great. Nevertheless, we recommend riding back through Val Soustra the same way first - the singletrail yield is simply higher here. And even downhill, this trail has a lot to offer. We already know most of the key sections from the uphill. At some point, the trail spits us out again directly at the pass road to the Col d'Agnello. We take this for a short stretch on asphalt before heading into the last section of the tour - now back on picture-book single trails. Partly through meadows, partly through steep alpine sections, we head towards the valley with plenty of flow. The ancient village of Chianale, which we soon pass through, is a good place for a sightseeing stop. Then it's back to the starting point in Pontechianale - again on single trails

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