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01.(km00,220m) START-END SOUTH: jct: Route du Vin bike path, exit to Ora (Auer) 02.(km01,250m) Auer / Ora 03.(km14,1030m) take left off SS48 in Neuradeln 04.(km17+1/2,1210m) Redagno di Sotto 05.(km27,1989m) TOP: Jochgrimm / pso di Oclini 06.(km30,1830m) passo Lavaze 07.(km43,890m) route joins Karer Pass, profile continues left 08.(km55,300m) START END NORTH: Carnedo

Approaches

From South. Riding to the top of Jochgrimm on the most direct way on a holiday can range from very peaceful to holiday traffic stress, depending on the interval. Aproaching Auer on the wineroad between Trento and Bozen is accomplished via the best bicycle trail in the world. But you have to leave it in Auer. A glimpse up the hillsside shows what's ahead. A shelf road high up on the limestone cliff that appears to be held in place by superglue. On Sundays in spring just follow all the racing bicycles. The route is signed as val di Fassa and traffic can be overwhelming on holidays. The switchback on the shelfroad is such a popular stopping point it feels like a motorcycle party. All the racing cyclists just keep on going. Once the hanging valley is entered, slope and traffic seems a little more relaxing again. But the way to finally say goodbye to all the german motorcycle caravans is to take a left to Radeln. The grade picks up again and the thick verdant forest continues all the way up to the town of Radeln. During end of may, snow covered high peaks show through in the clearing. Shortly before entering the town of Radeln, a sign with accompanying map point the way to the right up a fairly smooth surfaced dirt track to Jochgrimm. The only other traffic on this track are "Ermaechtigte" or "the authorized ones", which is generally only the occasional local farming tractor. After a thousand feet further climbing in the forest, a mountain above treeline finally comes in sight, the Schwarzhorn (or Black Horn). From this side, its partially green slopes it has a much more southern appearance than the wall like peaks to the north. But this mountain also has a rugged northern face. The trail passes past a large alpine hotel of sorts and then heads for a gap between the Schwarzhorn and Weisshorn (White Horn). This is where needle like mountains of the dolomites come into sight. At the summit are a large hotel, a restaurant, on holidays busloads of tourists, and at least one single track trail that takes off below a ski lift.

From North. (described downwards). The long 6000ft roll back down meets up with more and more traffic at each junction down into Bozen. First it's a couple of peaceful kms more down to the hotel at pso Lavace. Turning left leads over the Lavace summit after a couple of hundred meters, and then rolls down in forested serpentines to the junction with Karerpass. At the junction with the Karerpass road is a great view back to the mountain you just came from, possibly more impressive than the view of the same peak from the top. Karerpass can have heavy traffic and means the return of the dreaded endless german motorcycle caravans. There are many tunnels, including a 1200m one, followed by a 1550m one. But a detour is possible. See the Karerpass page, or the Nigerpass page.

First picture shows the ascent from Auer into the val di Fassa. Second picture taken approaching Jochgrimm top.