Description

Starting with an uphill section on a shared use trail, this is one of the longer uninterrupted sections of the Sella Ronda clockwise route.

That initial climb is, frankly, a bit of a slog and the crowds on the trail mean that you can't ride it quickly for fear of causing a collision.

Just accept it as a very small price to pay for having such a fabulous day, enjoy the scenery and get it done. Once you reach the top of the Pralongia peak there's a superb and immaculately-built bit of singletrail which leads down to the Rifugio Incisa.

The trail down to the hut features some epic wooden features, and the idea that one of the best situated huts in the Dolomites awaits you only makes it more enjoyable.

Few bikers can resist a drink and a bite to eat on the terrace of the hut, and nor should they! Soak it all in and then begin the descent. From the hut it's not entirely clear where the route goes - the official Sella Ronda map shows it going straight across the jeep track next to the hut, but this is now marked with a "no bikes" sign.

The option we took (which is drawn here) is the one which the Sella Ronda signs on the ground point to you to, but it still didn't seem quite right.

Please let us know if there's a bit more clarity on the correct route in summers to come! Despite the confusion (which is only added to by the official Sella Ronda GPX showing a third - but clearly incorrect - option), all of the trails eventually lead you down a quiet, forested hillside to the foot of the Campolongo - Bec de Roces chairlift.