The cross on the summit

Of all of the roads that head for Mount Gridone starting from the lake, the best choice for MTBikers is the one that begins in Brissago, goes through Incella and heads for the Monti di Mergugno (1050 m). This first leg, with 8 kilometers of nice concrete paving and an average gradient of 10%, is one of the most loved roads by local cyclists.

The road ends in Mergugno. That's where normal cyclists sadly turn around and head back to the lake, but for extreme MTBikers this is just the beginning of the adventure. Following the yellow signs you take a wide and well maintained path that enters the sweet-smelling cytisus of the holy woods of Brissago. This path is steep and you can pedal only on some sections; for the remaining parts the bike has to be carried. After a couple of kilometers it gets even worse and the bike won't get down of your shoulders anymore.

Past 1800 m you will arrive at the Al Legn refuge. From there on you have to climb towards WSW until you reach Bocchetta di Valle (1948 m), a pass where you'll meet some other trails. From this point you can already see the distinctive orange cross that marks the top. To get there you still need to climb two small rocky walls, which is a tough job having to carry a bicycle. When you reach the summit, just hope noone is there, 'cause if someone would see you, he'd almost certainly think you're an idiot. And he'd be right.

Mount Gridone's east face, seen from Bocchetta di Valle

After the awful pain of the climb, the descent will make you suffer even more. Start by following the crest towards the west; the path is marked by yellow-red signs. After less than one kilometer you'll leave the ridge and begin heading south. This transverse path is very narrow, but if you have good skills you can already pedal on some sections. Be very careful and maintain the balance on the side of the mountain, since it's highly recommended not to fall on the other side. However there are countless spots where you need to dismount and walk.

After the Bocchetta del Fornale (2034 m, right over a water source), the path moves to the wide south ridge and gets smoother and more enjoyable. At 1600 m you'll meet the first cabins, the silent ruins of Alpe la Quadra, followed by the extensive pastures of Alpe di Spoccia. While you slowly go back to civilization, the narrow path turns into a comfortable track and your arms turn into trembling jelly.

The bifurcation over the water source of Fornale

At 1334 m you'll get to a bifurcation. Left a steep gravel road leads down through the wide pastures of Olzeno and reaches Gurrone (697 m), where you can follow the main road to Cannobio. That's the descent that would be chosen by every person that shows some intelligence, ma since at this moment intelligent persons are resting on a deckchair in their garden licking an ice cream, you're free to choose the hardest way: the path on the right. The first part is pretty smooth and goes down obliquely to the cabins of Bronte. Here things get steep, and you need very good skills to go down through woods and glades down to the river of Ponte Secco. Past the river you need to go carry the bike up to Spoccia again (798 m). In Spoccia you'll meet the main road that heads down to Cannobio, and from there on you just need to pedal along the shore of the lake until you reach Brissago.