Val di Sole is a great destination for those who can’t give up mountain biking on vacation. It is precisely in Malè that the“Val di Sole Marathon,” an exciting MTB race that attracts more than 1,000 enthusiasts from all over Italy, is held every year.

The proposed route follows the route of the shorter variant, called the Race. Although it is the “easier” of the two routes, it remains a route on which a mountain bike race is held, so it is suitable for experienced bikers: the elevation gain is considerable and some passages are a bit technical.

Technical description:
The start is in the town of Malé, where the first climb of the day is located: from the 750 meters of the Solandro chief town, we climb through asphalt and dirt sections up to 1605 m. of the locality Piazza Marendaia, the highest elevation point of the entire route.
The 8-km climb offers a steady ascent and rewarding views of the entire Val di Sole and the Brenta Dolomites. The passage through the old town of Bolentina, a delightful high-altitude alpine village, is also characteristic.

Once at the summit it is immediately time to descend, first by a smooth forest road and then by a much more challenging single track that leads to Mas dei Bagianari. But the long descent is not over: back on a forest road, you descend to the valley floor and skirt the Rabbies stream to the Molini di Terzolas locality, the lowest point of the entire route.

The transfer up to the Molini allows you to breathe before embarking on the second climb of the day, the one that offers the most challenging gradients: 5 km, with peaks as high as 30 percent, leading up to 1300 m asl.
Then we plunge back downhill, still on a forest road, to return to the valley floor. Cross the picturesque footbridge over the Noce River and re-enter the historic center of Malè.

Route type: loop
Length: 35 km
Height difference in ascent: 1500 m
Downhill elevation gain: 1500 m
Highest point: 1596 m
Lowest point: 670 m
Type of surface: mixed

Municipality of departure: Malè
Starting location: Malè
Municipality of arrival: Malè
Place of arrival: Malè

Recommended period:
June to October

Useful links:
http://www.valdisolebikeland.com/it/vsm-val-di-sole-marathon/percorso-race