TOUR INFO GETTING THERE START …...can resume the tour described above at waymarker 118 (-14.3 km, -470m ascent). 4. Tour omitting the Annatal Hut: if you are not in need of another

TOUR INFO GETTING THERE START CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS HISTORY ROADBOOK ALTITUDE PHOTO

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TOUR INFO GETTING THERE START CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS HISTORY ROADBOOK ALTITUDE PHOTOALTITUDE PHOTO

2© Gunnar Diepenbruck • [email protected] • www.bike-gps.com

DOLOMITE WILD WOMEN TREK 3

CHARACTERISTICS

The third day of the grand tour sees mountain-bike enthusiasts conquering the Puez-Geisler/Puez-Odle Nature Park on one of the most impressive excursi-ons in the Val Gardena. The panoramic stretch from the Raschötz Hut to the Chapel of the Holy Cross alone is worth the practically 1000m ascent from Or-tisei, with the best yet to come! The se-cond part of the tour leads you along magnifi cent trails directly to the foot of the towering peaks of the Geisler/Odle Group, where the spectacular rock for-

mation of Pieralongia forms the ideal background for a souvenir photo. A long downhill then returns you to the Val Gardena, where a wonderful high-level route from Insom, via the Church of San Giacomo and into the Anna Valley all ensure that this will be an unforgettable mountain bike adventure.You will not have much time to warm up, however, as shortly after the beginning of the tour near the Tourist Information Offi ce in Ortisei you will be dropping down the gears for the climb. Initially

RIDING TIME Riding time without pauses

Riding time at 10 km/h 4 hrs 10 min






TOUR INFO % of distance

Total distance 41,71 km 100%

Height variation uphill 1693 m

Height variation downhill 2094 m

Maximum altitude 2453 m

Tarmac 0,94 km 2,3%

Tarmac cycle path 12,22 km 29,3%

Gravel 16,07 km 38,5%

Hiking trail 5,44 km 13,1%

Single track 5,04 km 12,1%

Carrying / pushing 0,00 km 0,0%

Cable car / transfer 1,96 km 4,7%

PHYSICAL CONDITIONOverall condition 4,0

Total height variation 4,0

Total distance 4,0

Maximum altitude 4,0

RIDING TECHNIQUEOverall riding technique 3,8

Surface 3,5

Average climb gradient 4,0

Average descent gradient 4,0

EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCEPanorama 5,0

Riding fun 4,0

TOUR EVALUATIONOverall diffi culty 4,0

Climb diffi culty 3,9

Descent diffi culty 4,2

GETTING THERE AND STARTING POINT Getting there: Starting point:A22 motorway: coming from the north, take exit Innsbruck-Brennero; coming from the south, take exit Verona-Bolzano.We recommend you exit the A22 at Klausen/Chiusa – Grödner Tal/Val Gardena: after 20 minutes on a well-signposted Alpine road you reach St. Ulrich/Ortisei then, after a few km, St. Christina/Santa Cristina and Wolken-stein/Selva.

The tour begins at the tourist information of-fi ce in St. Ulrich/Ortisei.

Parking available at the bottom of the Sece-da cable car.


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TOUR INFO GETTING THERE START CHARACTERISTICS VARIATIONS HISTORY ROADBOOK ALTITUDE PHOTOALTITUDE PHOTO

4© Gunnar Diepenbruck • [email protected] • www.bike-gps.com


you go up to the foot of the Seceda lift, then fi rst on tarmac and subsequently along the winding forest trail under the route of the new Raschötz lift. At the last curve you go straight on, climbing 150m to the high-level route connecting the bottom of the Raschötz lift with the Chapel of the Holy Cross. With the climb behind you, you fi nally have the satisfac-tion of admiring the wonderful panora-ma from the high-level route. Opposite you are the green pastures of the Alpe di Siusi with, behind them, the peaks of the Langkofel/Sassolungo outlined shar-ply against the sky, while to your left is

the famous Sella Group and, if the view is clear, you can make out the snow-co-vered glacier of the Marmolada between them.The high-level route now climbs slightly to the charming location of the Chapel of the Holy Cross that marks the border with the adjacent valley, the Val di Funes. Here you turn back, admiring the pano-rama once again on the way back to the Raschötz Hut, then down to the forest road, climbing the last metres to the top station of the Raschötz lift. Shortly after-wards you reach the Saltner Hut, which also off ers a wonderful panorama.

Behind the hut begins the steep, long descent of the piste down to the Sece-da middle station: the cable car quickly brings you up to a height of 2,450m, the highest point on the tour, with the Geis-ler/Odle Group, Mont de Stevia, Sella Group, Langkofel/Sassolungo and Platt-kofel/Sassopiatto forming a giant rocky amphitheatre.For expert riders, the best part of the tour begins here: a fantastic trail leading straight to the Geisler/Odle peaks, not too narrow, not too steep, down to the Pieralongia Hut. The rock formation of the same name appears to be the work of a giant who has adorned the lands-

cape with an enormous letter “V”, and is the ideal spot for a long break.Another 800m downhill past the Odles, Regensburger and Sangon Huts to the bottom of the Col Raiser lift, through the secluded village of Insom in the direc-tion of Saint Giacomo, remaining above the valley and its traffi c. The path beco-mes narrower, a joy to ride, before re-aching the Church of Sankt Jakob/Saint Giacomo.This, the oldest church in the Grödner Tal/Val Gardena, with its fi ne bell tow-er, peaceful cemetery and wonderful frescoes, dominates the valley. You can admire the panorama from the wide

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© Gunnar Diepenbruck • [email protected] • www.bike-gps.com


VARIATIONS1. Take the Raschötz cable car: the tour is considerably shorter and easier if you use the new Raschötz cable car, con-structed in 2010. Turn left instead of going straight on at waymarker 4, near the bottom of the Seceda lift, following directions for the Raschötz Hut to the cable car of the same name. Under the top station you will fi nd waymarker 24 for the tour described above, then go direct to the Saltner Hut without taking the high-level route to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, saving approximately 10 km and 1000m ascent).

2. Tour omitting the Raschötz Hut and the Chapel of the Holy Cross: a slightly shor-ter tour, turning sharp right at waymarker 17 in the direction of the bottom of the Raschötz cable car (-3.3 km, -185m ascent).

3. Tour omitting San Giacomo and Anna

Valley: the tour is considerably shorter if you do not turn sharp right at waymar-ker 57 towards Insom, but instead bear left down along the road. Past the bot-tom of the Col Raiser lift you reach the main road and turn left. At La Poza you can resume the tour described above at waymarker 118 (-14.3 km, -470m ascent).

4. Tour omitting the Annatal Hut: if you are not in need of another break, do not turn sharp right towards the Anna Valley at waymarker 83 but proceed straight on towards the bottom of the Seceda lift (-0.7 km, -33m ascent).

adjacent meadow with its views of the Plattkofel/ Sassopiatto, Langkofel/Sasso-lungo and the Sella Group.Now come 3km of pure riding fun along the narrow forest path towards the Anna Valley, where narrow trails, broad paths, hairpin bends and wooden bridges crea-te a magnifi cent route that must, unfor-tunately, fi nish by the Pauli Hut.Just a few metres on is the pleasant An-natal Hut, the last chance for refresh-ments on this tour, with tables in the shade or deckchairs in the sun, with the opportunity to cool your feet in the fresh waters of the stream behind the mea-dow before returning to Ortisei past the bottom of the Seceda lift.The remaining 9 km involve a climb of a total of 450m, but this is a wonderful ride up to Selva. In La Poza, a small village behind Santa Cristina, the tour switches to the other side of the valley, following the old railway line that now serves as a cycle track and brings you back to Selva.

Documents

TOUR INFO GETTING THERE START …...can resume the tour described above at waymarker 118 (-14.3 km, -470m ascent). 4. Tour omitting the Annatal Hut: if you are not in need of another