A solid route of tiny tracks, disused and half-finished gravel roads, some cute villages and views galore. Starting and finishing at Sesterzio.
Year-round but watch out for the descent down from the reservoir at Lotto as shady tree-covered corners could be a bit icy in winter.
Loosely based on a race held every October, this route does a beautiful climb before looping through cute villages with great views. It's fast and furious to descend. You'll have fun, we promise.
From the highest point you can easily add another 1,000 metres of climbing by following signs for Alpe Schermendone. It's worth it when you get up past the tree line. It isn't a particularly tough climb either, just follows the ridge line with views all down the valley from under a canopy of trees.
There's a great bakery in Ardenno to round off your run – they take a long lunch break though, so time your effort.
Year-round route.
Here's a stellar route for anyone who wants to avoid traffic and see the most unfrequented roads and tracks. So many variations of this route are possible, but there are certain unmissable sections like the tiny road linking Gaggio to Buglio that doesn't appear on most maps, or the pristine gravel across the bottom of the valley floor from Ere to Ardenno that gives such a sense of tranquility, so far removed from the madness of the main road.
Year-round route. Gets pretty muddy on the valley floor after rain. You can get away with narrower cyclo-cross tires on this route.
