The Alta Via di Liguria offers you a big dose of singletracks, endless descents through typical small Italian villages to the Mediterranean sea, pizza and Italian ice cream !!Liguria is the region situated on the Mediterranean west coast of Italy between Ventimiglia and Genova. Its hilly terrain, old villages perched on mountain slopes where time seems to have stopped and its ancient paths make it a paradise for mountain biking with a sea view!Traversing the Ligurian Alps you will discover the richness of this region, now mythical thanks to the Finale Ligure Enduro World Series.Combining a mix of All Mountain and Enduro biking using shuttle buses, the Alta Via is a little treasure we have discovered, ridden within an inch of its life and now we offer you exclusively!
Starting from Genoa we will reach the ridgeline of Liguria passing through the hills of Finale Ligure, continuing on this wild itinerary to the French border where we will head south to the Mediterranean Sea discovering many beautiful descents on Liguria’s secret Enduro trails down to the sea!! A shuttle will take us back to our accommodation after a good cold beer on the waterside and why not a swim in the sea!We’ve included 2 days of 100% ENDURO. Wednesday at Molini di Triora and the last day at Finale Ligure. With all day shuttle drops you can ride until your tyres are worn slick, your brake pads are completely burnt and you can no longer grip the handlebar!
DAY 1 of arrival (Saturday) : Meet at the hotel in Genoa where you can assemble your bikes and make any last minute purchases. Possibility to rent mountain bikes in Finale Ligure (20 mins away)
DAY 2 (Sunday) : We will leave the hotel for our first 1000m climb towards the mountains overlooking Genoa, from here we will join the Alta Via itinerary and attack our first Italian trail. A succession of climbs and fun descents will bring us to Finale Ligure via a superb final descent to the sea! Overnight in Finale Ligure.
Ride distance: 55km Uneven positive: 1600m Uneven negative: 1600m Physical difficulty: 3/5 Technical skills: 3/5
DAY 3 (Monday) : Our shuttle will take us up to a NATO base, the highest peak of Finale Ligure, from here you can see the Alps from the Matterhorn to the south of the Gulf of Genoa and on to Corsica! We will join the Alta Via in the direction of the Monte Carmo (approx 15min hike-a-bike) for a fantastique view and a 1400m singletrack descent finishing at the sea again! Our shuttle will take us back to the hotel bar in Garessio a superb small medieval village with incredible charm.
DAY 4 (Tuesday) : From Garessio we will climb by road to the San Bernardo pass and onwards towards the Monte Galero, contouring it with approximately a 40min hike-a-bike section with alternating rolling sections. The view is immense and the spot very wild.The singletrack on the ridge is superb with some very short hike-a-bike sections to arrive at Colle di Nava.A varied descent takes us into the valley of Arroscia. From here our shuttle will drop us to the pass overlooking the Argentian valley and the village of Molini di Triora! An incredible descent awaits us leading to Molini where we will sleep the night in the only hotel in the village. *warning dinner is a food orgy!!Overnight in Molini di Triora.
Ride distance: 60km Uneven positive: 1500m Uneven negative: 1500m Physical difficulty: 3/5 Technical skills: 3/5
DAY 5 (Wednesday) : A rest day for your thighs but certainly not for your arms and your brakes!! The Argentian valley is a wild treasure trove with dozens of natural paths hundreds of years old! Riding here is riding in the footsteps of generations of mountain farmers, hunters, and smugglers between France and Italy. This network of trails have been fashioned and maintained creating Enduro biker happiness!Our shuttle will drop us relentlessly back to the top to explore the wonders and richness of this valley in Enduro mode!Overnight in Molini di Triora.
DAY 6 (Thursday) : We will leave Molini by shuttle to the Alavena refuge and rejoin the official Alta Via trail, from here alpine becomes ‘really alpine’ with passes over 2000m. The singletrack follows the French-Italian border, slaloming between France and Italy via a former, wild, little used military road. A real delight!!The alternation between rolling and more technical sections make for real mountain bike pleasure. Passing along ridge lines offering breathtaking views simultaneously of the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea, arrive directly at Ventimiglia!From here shuttle transfer to Finale Ligure. Overnight in Finale Ligure.
Ride distance: 50km Uneven positive: 1200m Uneven negative: 1200m Physical difficulty: 3/5 Technical skills: 3/5
DAY 7 (Friday) : The last day will be the cherry on the cake! A day of pure Italian Enduro with shuttle drops, a full on mountain bike party on Finale Ligure's countless singletracks. Mixing flowy paths to technical singletrack, you will have everything you ever wished for in Finale Ligure!A rewarding day after all your hard work!!For this day of riding, it is possible to rent a full face helmet and protection clothing, approximately 25€ for the day.Dismantling and packing of bicycles at the hotel.Overnight in Finale Ligure.
Day 8 : departure day (Saturday) : End of tour and transfer to Genoa airport (only).
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