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Ronda Grande (All Mountain)

Arco, Comano, Dro & Drena, Riva del Garda, Tenno
Category
Difficulty
Difficult
Duration
6:30
Duration in hours
Distance
74.7
Distance in km
Status
open
Suggested period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

The former intermediate route of a competition held every year on the occasion of the Bike Festival. It is suited to cyclists with a high level of physical but also technical preparation.

Over a distance of 74 km and an elevation gain of nearly 2900 metres, this route is beyond the autonomy of most of the ebikes around these days. But apart from the physical commitment, a number of stretches also require good steering technique.

The surface changes frequently: from paved road to cement, forest trails with a firm dirt track, rough tracks, single track… Basically, a bit of everything.

Given the considerable distance and the nature of the route, and even though there is signposting and the description is quite accurate, it is still advisable to download the GPS track and follow it on your device.

Further information and useful links
Route info
Difficult
Route number
772
Distance
74,7 km
Duration
6 h 30 min
Altitude difference (+)
3.149 m
Altitude difference (-)
3.149 m
Technical skills
Physical effort
Scenary
Highest point
1.484 m
Lowest point
69 m
Suggestions

Use the chance, if you are not competing, to taste the local specialties in the restaurants along the trail. 

Safety guidelines

Safety Tips

  • Always wear your helmet.
  • Plan your ride.
  • You share the trail with other users. Yield right of way to hikers.
  • Let your speed be determined by your experience.
  • Ride slowly on crowded trails, overtake with politeness and respect.
  • Cycle only on authorized and open trails.
  • Avoid muddy trails in order not to damage them further.
  • Respect public and private property.
  • Always be self-sufficient.
  • Do not cycle solo in remote areas.

This information is subject to inevitable variations, so none of these indications are absolute. It is not entirely possible to avoid giving inexact or imprecise information, given how quickly environmental and weather conditions can change. For this reason, we decline any responsibility for changes which the user may encounter. In any case, it is advisable to check environment and weather conditions before setting out.

Punto di partenza
Riva del Garda
Directions

The departure point is at the carpark of the Palazzo dei Congressi, in Riva del Garda. Head north and you soon come to a roundabout where you follow directions for Arco. Pass the bus station and keep on straight through two more roundabouts. On this road which is always fairly busy, you can keep to the cycle path which runs along the right hand side of the road. At the next roundabout, about 3 km from your starting point, turn left, following directions for Tenno. At the end of the straight stretch, you come to another roundabout where you take the second exit, this time following directions for Varignano. Stay on this road for about 550 m, then turn left, where you will find the first signpost for route 772 which, for now, coincides with routes 771 and 773. 

You finally leave the traffic behind and riding along the streets which run through the town you soon come to the church of Varignano. From here on, the route to follow is clearly marked so you can concentrate on getting over the first steep uphill stretch in the direction of Volta di No. Try to conserve your  strength as much as possible as this is just the first of a long series. The steepest part is on cement, then there is a short stretch on dirt road, then back onto a paved road. When you come to the junction with the main road for Tenno, keep right and then immediately turn left onto the lovely “Pil” road. The gradient here is a little less steep and recent maintenance work has improved the going on the stetches of dirt road. As you climb you can admire the stunning views of Riva and the Alto Garda. At the end of this uphill stretch you come to a paved secondary road where you follow directions to the right. The route is well-marked and you continue to climb until you find yourself on the main road again on a bend in Tenno. Follow it downhill and at the second bend turn off to the right onto a dirt road. When you come to the church of Ville al Monte you continue along the main road, keeping to the left, until in a short distance you come to the junction. Turn right here and follow the paved road in the direction of the Rifugio San Pietro mountain hut and Monte Calino.

When you get to the car park near the Rifugio, you find yourself back on a dirt track. Keep on straight. It is not far to the top of the hill and the first downhill stretch. After an initial run on an easy forest trail, turn onto a mule track which gradually gets steeper and steeper as the going gets very rough. Follow clear signs until you come to Prà della Vespana, where you keep to the left. You soon come to a building where you turn onto a trail through the woods and then continue on down forestry roads. This takes you past Malga Lomasona where you keep on straight again, now in the bottom of the valley, until you come to the paved road once more.

You then come to a junction where you keep to the right, cycling along one of the few flat stretches. Leave the paved road again with a sharp right turn and head back into the woods. There is now a short uphill stretch and at the next junction you keep on straight and head downhill once more. Before you come to the paved road for Lundo, follow signposting and take a sharp right. The road begins to climb again for about 7 km, with an initial gradient of nearly 15% but then a steady 10% on an easy forest trail which is cemented in parts. Along the uphill stretch in the Malga di Vigo area, be sure to keep to the left, following the same direction for routes 773 and 746. You come to the top of the hill in Cadregoni and there leave the forest trail and keep left. The next downhill stretch is quite long and technical, where steering is crucial and you come to just one fork where you keep to the right. When you come to the forest trail, keep right. Continue on for about 1 km, keeping to the main trail until you come to the next signposts. Keep right at the next two forks and the road begins to run uphill again, still on a forest trail. Now follow the main road in the direction of Monte Casale and, after about 3.5 km, head in the direction of Malga Valbona. You have to climb a bit, then follow signposts to leave the main road, keeping to the right. Here you have another technical section in the woods which takes you as far as the meadows of Malga Valbona. Keep left here and you start to climb again on a well-signposted track as far as the summit of Monte Brento, a popular spot with base jumpers.

There are some uphill stretches on this part of the route which, apart from being hard, are also rather technical. You have come to the highest point on the route and now you begin to ride downhill on a trail which reaches gradients of up to 30% with quite loose going. Once you are past the more technical stretch, follow signposting, or better still, the gps track, on a series of tracks, forest trails, and mule tracks, until you find yourself in the vicinity of Malga di Vigo once more.

Before you get to the Malga which you already passed on the way up, follow direction and keep left. You come to the forest road again at Gorghi, keep left and you are riding uphill again in the direction of Prai da Gom. Here there is a short stretch on the flat, then you follow directions and begin another short downhill run which takes to below the mountain hut Rifugio San Giovanni. You get to the mountain hut yet after another steep uphill ride. If you are not competing in a race, you can take a well-deserved rest here. Continue on your way and as you crest the brow of the hill, keep to the right on the paved road and  head downhill again. Take care not to miss the signpost and, after a few hundred metres, turn onto the forest trail on your left. After a downhill stretch through the woods with a few rather steep sections, there are still a few more short uphill runs, though from now on, the trail is mostly downhill.

Once you are back on the paved road, follow it as far as Mandrea where you keep to the left and turn onto an old mule track. Follow directions back onto the road which takes you to Varignano. The remainder of the race route retraces the outward run and is all on paved road back to your point of departure. At the last roundabout you met on the way out, take the first exit this time. When you come to the next roundabout, take the second exit and head on straight to the town of Pasina. When you come to a pedestrian crossing on the Varone stream you will find signposting for the bike trail once again. When you get as far as the large paper mill you are nearly back to where you started from. The race track would turn right here onto Viale Cattoni and the left onto Via Vannetti and on towards the finish in the park beyond Viale Rovereto. If you don’t have anyone waiting for you at the finish line, it might be a better idea to stay on the cycle path, cross Viale Rovereto and continue on straight to the beach nearby.

Note:

If you stick with the starting point and finishing line of the competition route, the first stretch is along the main road between Riva and Arco. If you would rather avoid this on the way to Varignano you can take route 749 (starting from Riva or Torbole) or route 745 (starting from Arco) instead. As mentioned already, the climb on this route is extremely demanding and the descent is very challenging in terms of gradient and track conditions.

public transportation

The main towns in Garda Trentino - Riva del Garda, Arco, Torbole sul Garda, Nago – are connected by several urban and intercity bus lines which will take you to the starting point of tours or in the immediate surroundings.

You can also get to Riva del Garda and Torbole sul Garda by the public ferry service.

Up-to-date information on timetables and routes.

 

How to get there
Where to park

Parking near the former hospital (Via Rosmini) or the former cemetery (Viale Damiano Chiesa).

Paid parking: Terme Romane (Viale Roma), Vecchia stazione (Largo Medaglie d’Oro), Ex-agraria (Via Lutti), Area ex-Cattoi (Viale Rovereto).

Riding your bike requires specific clothing and equipment, even for relatively short and easy trips. It is always better to be prepared… e.g. for bad weather or a sudden drop in your energy levels. The unexpected things are part of the fun!

Remember to thoroughly evaluate the type of route you plan on doing, the locations you intend to cross and the current season. Has it been raining? Attention: The paths may be slippery and require more caution.

What do I need to bring on my bike tour?

  • An adequate water supply according to your needs (considering temperature, possibility of refuelling and duration of the route)
  • Plenty of snacks (for example, dried fruit or energy bars)
  • Waterproof / Windproof jacket
  • A spare top / spare socks (Descending in a sweaty garment, will make you cold).
  • Suncream
  • Sunglasses
  • Bike gloves/mitts
  • Map or GPS device
  • Bike lights: best placed on your helmet or handlebars. (It is always best to be prepared)
  • Bike repair kit for punctures and mechanical breakdowns
  • First aid kit
  • Emergency whistle

It is always advised to let someone know where you plan to go and how long you expect to be.

Emergency telephone number 112.

Arco
E-Bike Stop Malga S. Giovanni - Arco
bike stop
Riva del Garda
E-Bike Stop Info Point Riva del Garda
bike stop
Riva del Garda
E-Bike Stop Punta Lido - Riva del Garda
bike stop
Tenno
Bike Stop Parking Tenno
bike stop
Torbole sul Garda - Nago
Carpentari Cycling Stories
open
closed
services
Riva del Garda
Cicli Pederzolli
open
closed
bike shop
Riva del Garda
Degasperi rent e-bike
open
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bike shop
Riva del Garda
E-BIKEGARDA
open
closed
bike shop
Riva del Garda
Energiabike
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bike shop
Torbole sul Garda - Nago
Mandelli Bike
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bike shop
Riva del Garda
Rosà Bike
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services
Riva del Garda
The Lab
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bike shop
Torbole sul Garda - Nago
Velolake
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Torbole sul Garda - Nago
Garda Bike Shuttle
always open
services
Arco
Moser Sport Arco
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bike shop
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