MTB tour on the Monte Regolo high plateau

The Colle Cable Car takes us and our bikes from Bolzano, the capital city of the province of South Tyrol, to the hamlet of Colle (Kohlern) saving us the uphill ride to 1,100 m asl. From the mountain station we cycle towards the small church along the more or less steep asphalt road no. 3 towards south-west. At the junction to Seit we turn to the left and follow the path no. 3B to the Schneiderwiesen mountain inn at 1,360 m asl. It offers a wonderful view on the Catinaccio and Latemar massifs. We continue on the gravel roads no. 5A and 5B to the Totes Moos wetland - first uphill towards the Monte Pozza and then downhill on a bumpy path.

The trails cross at the Totes Moos - we continue towards Wölflhof/Nova Ponente on the path no. 1 past some farmsteads to the Wölflhof rest point. We enjoy the meadows, forests and the view on the valley on one side and the Dolomites on the other as well as the home-made cake and a cappuccino offered at the Wölflhof. Pure bliss! Our MTB tour continues on the asphalt road towards Nova Ponente, alternatively you can choose the more demanding forest and meadow paths. After a short uphill section the tour proceeds downhill through the village centre and towards south (Monte San Pietro/Petersberg) at the roundabout. The main road leads to this small hamlet and further on to the village of Aldino (Aldein). A highlight of this section is the bridge of Aldino crossing the Hohlen Gorge, one of the highest bridges of Europe.

It leads to the more crowded Dolomite road. Enjoying the downhill ride in serpentines along the road beneath the rugged rock faces we reach Montagna and then Ora. Finally the Adige Cycle Route leads us back to Bolzano, our starting point. This is a wonderful tour on different terrains and can be done in half a day if you are in good condition. If you would like to make it more pleasant - with some breaks and stops to enjoy the views and the landscape - we recommend to plan a whole-day tour. Alternative route for gravel and forest paths enthusiasts: If you want to avoid the traffic on the downhill sections you can branch off on the left past the Aldino Bridge and choose the trail no. 19 on the right (Old Val di Fiemme Railway Line, no. 3). The gravel path leads uphill and follows the route of the famous "Vecia ferovia" steeply downhill to Montagna.

Author: AT