Bad Tölz - Lake Garda

Separate arrival of participants at Bad Tölz (also possible on the previous day with overnight stay at hotel). We will start off from Bad Tölz, following a slightly ascending forest road across the water meadows of the river Isar up to the Sylvenstein reservoir. There we are greeted by a wonderful view across the promontory of the Alps and the Karwendel massif which awaits us in the afternoon. After lunch break in the Rißtal valley we start ascending the Karwendel massif. We will spend the night at the Karwendelhaus lodge situated amid the most spectacular huge rocks.

Following the Karwendelbach creek, we start on a never-ending descent down to Scharnitz. Our route right between the Zugspitz massif and the Mieminger chain of mountains leads us to Ehrwald. Far from the main road we cross the Fernpass and tear down into the Inntal valley. The last ascent of today’s stage brings us to the Pillerhöhe saddle, where we are lodging with a view of the Engadine and the Samnaun mountain massif.

We continue along ancient Roman tracks the next day: While following the Via Claudia up to the Reschenpass, we will enjoy the breathtaking view of Lake Reschensee below us, with a mysterious church spire jutting out of the water. After lunch break by the lakeside we cycle down the Vinschgau, one of the sunniest areas of Europe. Tackling the last few vertical metres, we enter Switzerland, where we spend the night at the foot of Piz Umbrail (3,033 m).

With our first ascent we reach a height of 2,300 m. The ride along the Val Mora valley is an absolute must for every mountain biker. Past Lago St. Giacomo di Fraele (at almost 2,000 m) we take the route across the famous Torri di Fraele and Bormio, which is the starting point of one of the most spectacular roads for bikers world wide. For more than 10 km, a gravel road snakes steadily through the landscape at an altitude of 2,000 m, leading to the ascent to Passo di Verva, the last pass we will tackle today. After taking in the stunning view of the Ortler and the Livigno mountains, we race down to today’s accommodation.

The Giro d´Italia is omnipresent during the first part of today’s stage: a narrow street, hardly ever used by cars and painted with the names of all of today’s most famous racing cyclists, leads us up to Passo di Mortirollo. Once we reach the pass, we are rewarded with a 30 km descent to Breno, where we lodge for the night in a part of the village overlooking the area.

During the long ascent to the Passo Croce Domini we will encounter the flair of the mountains around Lago di Garda. From the pass we can enjoy the first glimpse of Tremalzo & Co. But this is only the beginning – 7 more passes will be crossed today! From the Croce Domini, an old street stretches along the mountain ridge for about 20 km. The Passo Maniva, the Passo della Spina and many other small passes will be covered, demanding relatively little energy, since they hardly differ in altitude. The day’s destination lies at the end of a long, exhilarating descent to idyllic Lago di Idro, where the last night of the tour will be spent.

The last stage starts from Lago di Idro. Eager to get to Lago di Garda, we will climb a couple more ascents: Following old ridge paths at the foot of the Tremalzo, we reach Lago di Ledro. From here we take the recently reopened beautiful Ponale street toward our longed-for final destination. Our tour ends with sparkling wine and a leap into Lago di Garda. Our last dinner together is a good opportunity to recall the adventures of the past few days.

Please let us know in advance (on the registration sheet) if you want to prolong your stay at beautiful Lake Garda. Otherwise, you can return with us to the starting point (Bad Tölz).

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