September 18, 2006

The biking region of Alta Rezia, Italy

Ransom Tour First day A jeep shuttle from the Stelvio National Park will take you from the village, through the main streets, and along narrowing and steepening dirt tracks up to Rifugio Pizzini, at 2750 meters above sea level. If you love the first-class climbing capability of the Ransom, then you can handle the first section without a problem thanks to the lock-out or the traction mode, provided that your legs can climb just as well. During the ascent to Passo Zebru, the breathtaking view of this world of mountains and glaciers will let you forget the thin air and the pushing sections. What awaits you at an altitude of 3028 meters above sea level is guaranteed to get every biker's heart beating faster. A solitary, long trail, ridable apart from a 50 meter section, snakes through the mountains. In the all-travel mode, you can ride through all sorts of mountainous terrain, from loose gravel to Scottish-like plateaus. At the edge of the forest, you have the choice, depending on your inclination and stamina, between a high-speed descent on the endless forest roads or a technically taxing, kilometers-long singletrack trail all the way to Bormio. Whatever you fancy, the Ransom is best option for either choice. Second day From Bormio, using the lockout-mode for the first time and with locked forks on a paved country road, the route leads up to the middle station of the regional mountain railroad, which sits at exactly 2000 meters above sea level. From here, the traction mode is advised, as the next 1000 meters over loose gravel lead up to the Bornio mountain station at 3000m. Those who wish to only use the all-travel mode in the subsequent descent may be tempted by the train ride direct from Bormio up to this spot, the highest point of the tour. A brand new trail, built by Stelvio National Park staff, runs along the mountainside for several kilometers, with the surrounding glaciers always in sight, to a picturesque plateau with three small mountain lakes. From here, the route is mainly on meadow trails, which at times can only able to be found by the small rock cairns marking them.
After this, you have the agonizing decision of which trail to ride. To the right are the singletrack sections to Santa Caterina. On the left, you'll find the more technical runs, back to the middle station. Or, you can take the golden middle, with fast runs through the forest and a rapid final stretch back to Bormio? The possibilities are endless, as they always are on a Ransom tour. Information on Ransom Tours Information about the Ransom Tour, including the 34 bike-friendly hotels, the 2400 km of trails and bike paths, the 81 day tours, the five mountain railroads, the shuttles and all events, and the bike schools and guides in Alta Rezia, are available here: www.alta-rezia.com Ready to ride? Check out the new 2007 European or North American Ransom Limited.