Passo Tremalzo
First something about the lowest part of the profile : the
Ponale Road, Riva del Garda's most famous mountain biking
attraction. - It is also a hindrance to road bikers. The
Ponale are several miles of old military road that thread up
a cliff south of Riva, under rock overhangs, between
tunnels, through galleries hanging over the lake, with
switchbacks that you can't put together into a continuous
path, when you look down on them. It's an amazing sight,
from afar or while on it. Much of it is unpaved. It is also
the only way to get a bicycle legally from Riva into another
great cycling region: the Valli Ledro. This is one of the
very few occasions where an almost 1km long tunnel on the
main road is closed to bicycles. But the tunnel is well lit,
and in reality doesn't present much of a problem in
practice.
There are several variations to ride to Passo Tremalzo, but
if you start at the bottom for a loop ride - ie somewhere on
Lago di Garda, most of them are bound to include the Ponale
as part of the loop. (The only exceptions i can think of is
leaving from Tremosine and returning to the south over Passo
San Rocco). So I'll include a description and pictures of
the Ponale here, even though it could also be on the route
for reaching many lower points. But it's difficult to assign
this road to any particular summit point. I think most
people start loop rides to Passo Tremalzo, not from the
shore of Lago di Garda, but from further up in the Ledro
Valley. This option skips the Ponale Road.
The Ponale Road
Now to the Passo Tremalzo itself. For me this is a ride
where at the end of the day, it is hard to remember all the
tunnels, all the sections, the endless turns, views of
switchbacks reaching skywards. I'll try. But I do remember I
walked a lot.
One approach to this pass is what I just described, the
other is paved almost to the top. The first decision to make
is weather to climb to the top on pavement or on dirt road.
My decision for this was to climb on the dirt part. Judging
from the hundreds of bicycles I saw going down, I am in the
minority.
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1.(80m,00.0km)
START-END EAST 1: southern end of Riva de Garda,
before jct with Ponale.
2.(250m,03.4km) route stays on left bike path,
direction Pregasina
3.(510m,08.0km) Pregasina
4.(881m,11.1km)Bocca De Lanci
5.(1159m,14.0km) Passo Rocchetta
6.(1286m,19.6km) Passo Bestana
7.(1205,20.5km) Rifugio Alpini Passo Nota
8.(1424m,23.2km)Passo Pra Della Rosa
9.(1839m,28.0km)TOP: point of highest elevation,
before Bocca Di Val Marza
10.(1700m,29.8km) Passo Tremalzo
11.(747m,42.6km) Passo Dell'Ampolo
12.(670m,51.9km) profile goes around south side of
Lago Di Ledro on path
13.(670m,57.2km) profile rejoins road east of Lado Di
Ledro
14.(250m,64.6km) START-END SOUTH 2: route joins other
approach on south side of Ponale |
Approaches
From East. Leaving Garda along the lake
heading south, and then looking back at its plaza facing the
lake, you can't help but turn around and wonder at this space,
and if maybe you shouldn't have lingered just a bit longer. But
the view gets better.
Before the road enters the first short tunnel, a right leads to
the start of the Ponale. The next few miles have only one thing
in common, they climb and there are lots of mountain bikes on
it. Sometimes the road climbs in a tunnel, sometimes in a
gallery, sometimes the tunnel was paved with asphalt, sometimes
with smooth rocks. At times there are alternatives to ride
around the tunnels. Below another stripe of asphalt seems in
danger of being rained on by rocks. That road is closed.
Looking back a series of hills grow in perspective behind Garda.
In the background a vertical mountain capped by a cloud spurrs
the imagination. The Ponale is great for mountain bikers. But it
does not last very long. Also there are two options. Staying
right at a fork leads to the main road into Ledro Valley,
meeting it just after the tunnel section that is closed to
bicycles. Staying left leads to the road to Pregasina.
The profile follows the latter. At first all road seem to end in
Pregasina. But asking around for direction Tremalzo, I am sent
on a concrete path climbing above the cemetery. This is a nice
place to climb, and for the moment I was am alone, since most of
the published descriptions seem to send the crowds along the
valley to Molina di Ledro. But it is nice here above the
cemetery. The path enters a deep forest and the flagstone
pavement with its rough surface is perfect for climbing standing
up. No dirt could give this traction. But then eventually the
road turns to dirt also, and delivers me to the first point with
a view: Bocca di Lanci at 881 meters. This is view with right
angles, a shoebox with a blue bottom. The sides of the shoebox
have snow on top. A sign here points to a 1.5km descent into
Tremosine. Another sign comemorates an author of a bicycle
magazine who is said to have made this route to Tremalzo famous.
However - this is not a life like stone statue, like would be
appropriate for the townsquare back in Riva - just a simple
metal plaque.
It's ironic that this plaque would be, not only at this
particular spot, but also helpful. The next several km (starting
after a few hundred meters from here) are impossible to ride,
and without this plaque about a famous bike route, I would have
definitely concluded that this can't be the right way. Heaving
the bike up over roots and rocks I finally get it up to Passo
Rocchetta (1159m). I should also mention that apparently there
are two trails between here and Bocca di Lanci. I took the
shallower version, which involves staying right at a closed inn
of sorts, and then taking the next hard left. My directions
sense is helped along by my gps unit, and I fear since I have
this electronic aid now, I have probably forgot several
junctions along the trail. But in this case I may have never
reached the top without it.
Passo Tremalzo: section between
Bocca di Lanzi and start of pavement
A grand surprise stands next to the trail, a hut selling drinks
for many euros each, signed by a scaregrow with a sign : "Langsam
Raststation". That's not Italian, but people on this end of
the lake don't even try to act Italian anymore, because they are
probably 90 percent visiting German speakers.
After being reminded how thirsty I was, and consequently
drinking most of my own water (and resisting the temptation to
buy beer or coke - which really was not so difficult), I quickly
realize a new section is about to get under way. Passo Rocchetta
was the last point directly over the lake, as if flying above
it. The trail now traverses into a canyon at right angle to the
lake. Its vertical cliffs and zig zag trails descend into its
depths lend it a Himalayan appearance, especially in the typical
hazy of early afternoon light, that makes judgement of distance
nearly impossible. Somewhere along this section the published
route from Molina must come up, because nearly every trail
section, where trees break open to reveal the depths below, are
occupied by groups of bikers. Several Inns built with stone
walls so thick they could also be war fortifications line this
path. The path meanwhile allows for much quicker progress,
because of smoother trail conditions.
The next noticeable pass is Passo Nota - no views, just a
albergo in the woods and a junction with what must actually be
the most direct approach from this side, and that is an actual
road most of the way from Tremosine. The map also marks a Passo
Bestana before Passo Nota, of which I saw no indication along
the way.
Okay, so after this round about approach to this point, all
Tremalzo bikers should finally be united in heading for the
summit. But I was the only one on the path - maybe because a
thunderstorm was threatening to break loose. But for right now,
it was just going to collect some more energy from the
atmosphere into a dark somber blue color, that does not evoke
any feelings of coziness. But then - who knows how long this
phase will last ? I am not going to wait.
In many ways the wilderness games begin all over again. First a
path with a concrete surface starts. This is ideal for climbing
- a sort of traction carpet. Then the road turns to dirt and
starts the first of three sections of switchbacks, interspersed
with occasional short tunnels, traversing along limestone
spires, that resemble a hairbrush turned at a 45 degree angle.
The first major tunnel comes into sight, promising a complete
change in viewsheds. Maybe on the other side the sun will shine.
It does not. But it does reveal the next set of switchbacks.
Looking back down, it is satisfying to see that I have actually
been making some horizontal progress too. Immediately below are
pieces of road like pieces of spaghetti. But then far off is a
long single spaghetti reaching into the depth of the valley.
Monte Baldo and its snowcovered peaks on the other side of the
valley float into view above the tunnel, making it look like a
digital overlay. How can mountains obscured by haze for all this
time appear so detailed ? Apparently the rain did its job of
clearing the athmosphere well, and thankfully I only got a few
drops of it for once.
Exiting the next tunnel, the route continues on a narrow path
between two big piles of snow, and surprise - who would have
thought - that this is the actual top ? The spot marked as pass
on the maps is still a km or so away and maybe 100 meters
below.

left: climbing avove the Bocca di Lanzi
right: concrete path through the forest between Pregasine and
the Bocca di Lanzi
From West. It does not become
apparent that there is an actual paved road leading up here
until you see the Albergo Tremalzo and a few motorcycles parked
in front of it. The view to the north west is of mountains with
a rounder appearance, snowcapped non the less, and with a carpet
of high alpine meadows at their feet. Several high farms also
call this home.
This side enters forest quickly. With that the far views
disappear. Descending further a crucifix in a carefully tended
roadside park takes on the glittering appearance of a jewel just
as the sun comes out. After a long smooth descend on a wide road
with very few cars, the road ends on Passo
Ampolo. Compared with this ride, that spot is just a
nondescript spot along a straight road in a flat forest with a
parking lot next to a hotel.
The profile goes down the Ledro Valley on the main road, but a
separate longer bicycle path exists along most of the way. It
leads around the east side of the Lago di Ledro, giving great
views of the west side. The main road also is on the west side.
If taking the west side route, bicycle traffic is finally
prohibited on the main road and detoured below the attractive
village Predi. The profile ends where the route is led back onto
the Ponale, just at the entrance of the long main tunnel on the
main road.

right- the sign reads: Langsam Raststation
left- the last Raststation
Historical Notes:
The Tremalzo Pass Road was built before WW1 for strategic
reasons by Italy. At that time the border between the Hapsburger
Austro-Hungarian empire and Italy ran along the ridge to the
south of Valle di Ledro. Already before the war there were many
arrests of Italian sympathizers. Towards the end of 1915 the
Ledro Valley was evacuated entirely. The people were relocated
to "Boehmen" and "Maehren", which was a
center for power for the Hapsburg dynasty. They remained there
for three years, and the Valli de Ledro was completely destroyed
during the war.
Dayride with this point as highest summit:
Passo Tremalzo : Torbole > Riva del Garda > up
Ponale with detours > Pregasine > Bocca di Lianci >
Passo Rocchetta(shp) > Passo Notta(shp) > Passo Tremalzo
> Passo Ambolo(shp) > down Ledro Valley sometimes on bike
route, sometimes on main road > down Ponale > Riva del
Garda > starting point in Torbole: 50.5miles with 7339ft of
climbing in 6:38hrs (Garmin etrex30 m4:14.6.3).
Notes using the old method this measured 50.1miles with
7034ft of climbing in 6:08hrs with a VDO MC1.0
The last day with different start and end points is on
page: Passo Lagostrello

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