Riale Gries Pass | MTB Upper Val Formazza

Type: Interesting

Description:
Tour starting from the famous Toce Waterfalls. Unless you want to tackle the long climb on the traffic-open road from Ponte Formazza to the waterfalls, it is preferable to drive to the parking lot right behind the waterfalls. Take the paved road to Riale (possibility of a short dirt trail section) and, upon arrival, at the only junction, continue on the right cart track, which leads with medium difficulty ascent to the Maria Luisa hut. Before reaching the hut, you can detour right (deviation in GPS track) taking a short climb to Lago Castel with nice view of the opposite pasture; resume the initial road to Maria Luisa and continue to Lago del Toggia, skirting it along the left bank via a white road with regular surface and easy rideability, generally slight ascent to Passo del San Giacomo (track includes crossing Toggia dam for short excursion in pastures along the right lake side). At the pass continue left without losing altitude and tackle a long single track allowing no errors, highly exposed to the valley below, alternating uphill sections with narrow exposed downhills. Now in Swiss territory, continue along the trail skirting the slope at the foot of Corno Gries hut, dotted with short but steep intense climbs. After deserved break continue uphill to Passo del Corno with some push sections, then to Lago del Gries and the namesake pass. From Passo del Gries starts the descent to Baettelmatt Alp, facing several absolutely unridable trail points – especially in the second part, much rougher and steeper –, then reaching the Baettelmatt Alp plain and following on jeepable road Lago di Morasco; from here the road, partly paved, leads to the starting point.

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Video length: 11:45