Passo Umbrail

For my first gravel Tour, I'm riding with Stefano and our guide Matteo, a passionate local cyclist. We head out of Bormio on the road leading to the Stelvio, but leave it shortly after Bagni Vecchi. We join the ancient Salt and Wine gravel road, used in the Middle Ages to trade wine from Italy to central Europe and salt from Switzerland to Northern Italy. The gradient exceeds 15% in places, but the scenery is fabulous. After a stop to admire the Lago di Cancano, we resume our journey in the Valle Forcola. Above 2000m, we are in spectacular high alpine terrain. A steep path cut into the cliffs takes us to a grassy plateau. We finish our ascent at over 2700m at the Bocchetta di Pedenolo, in a lunar landscape. But there's still more to come. A short, flowy descent takes us to the foot of a steep climb: it would not be a true alpine gravel experience without this hike-a-bike section to the Bocchetta di Forcola (2760m). A place steeped in history: you can still see the remains of the trenches from the First World War, when the Italo-Austrian front crossed the region. And the view of the Stelvio and the Ortler mountain group is breathtaking. A sometimes technical, sometimes flowy descent takes us to the Umbrail pass (2501m). From here, we could reach the Stelvio via the Dreisprachenspitze trail, at the cost of a fairly long section of hike-a-bike. We would then have the privilege of reaching this legendary pass via a fourth ‘secret’ route, in addition to the classics: Bormio, Prato and Santa Maria. However, it is getting late and threatening clouds are gathering on the surrounding peaks. We wisely decide to go back to Bormio by road, not without a last spectacular off-road section that takes us back to the tarmac at an altitude of 2300m. Back in town 1000 metres below, we finish with a well-deserved beer on the Piazza Cavour, a popular meeting point in Bormio. What a day in the high mountains: an exceptional Tour to be recommended to alpine gravel enthusiasts. Please note: after km 11 (Lago di Cancano), there is no place to refuel. Make sure you take enough food and drinks with you!

Challenging climb. After leaving Bormio and passing the old and new bathing establishments, the dirt road begins. The first 10 km are on compact, packed gravel and a very wide road. But the gradients are often in the double digits, with peaks of up to 20%. As the road climbs, it becomes a trail, always rideable, always steep. This section requires a bit of technique, as the curves are very tight. After the uphill section, you reach a slight slope with several exposed sections. The path is narrow, and on the right, there's a void. Be very careful ⚠️. Then there's a section, about 2 km long, where pedaling is impossible, carrying your bike or pushing it. Continuing, the road widens a bit, but recent rains have caused a lot of debris to fall, and you have to walk through the sections. There are some fairly technical downhill sections. A full-suspension bike would be ideal. With gravel, you have to be careful.