Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

252 views | 1 comments | 4 faves

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

The AR isn't all singletrack, but when it comes it's as good as it gets. Big climbs and big descents in big mountains are about as far from the daily grind as you can get. Ahead of us now is a 1600m descent to finish four days of epic adventure. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

565 views | 5 comments | 25 faves

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

With big days and regular wrong turns ahead, early starts were almost compulsory. With them comes the beauty of slanting light and the awe of enormous glaciers peering through the early morning mists. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

242 views

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

Accommodation en route is comfortable and warm and laden with Italian hospitality. The Forni refuge is just one such beauty. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

529 views | 3 comments | 12 faves

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

Another col, another descent. And so the pattern for each day is set. The AR is all about earning your rewards it seems. Despite the abundant lifts en route, t's no free ride. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

351 views | 4 faves

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

The AR route is not signposted as clearly as we'd have liked and with so many trails scoring the mountainsides, regular map-reading breaks were a must. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

123 views

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

Mile upon mile of singletrack are strewn around the Alta Rezia region, far from the lift-rising madding crowd at the bike parks. Occasionally you come across a sign that tells you how much effort you have put in to earn your solitude. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

282 views | 1 comments | 5 faves

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

Each climb out of one valley delivered a change of scenery, like the Trela Pass out of Livigno. Tours are like that: a never ending supply of visual rewards, with the well earned feeling of accomplishment remote passes like this can deliver. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

286 views | 2 faves

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

Our return to the Bernina pass was greeted with rain. A long slow steady climb up to the La Stretta pass border with Italy once more, ended in a swirl of cloud, obscuring our descent to Livigno. Just as well, it was steep and scary as hell, but rideable, spitting us out with the kind of massive grins and overdose of endorphins to freewheel into town. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

1088 views | 2 comments | 45 faves

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

Fast undulating forest singletrack polished off day one with a well earned shot of adrenaline. Half an hour later we'd be enjoying the hospitality of Italian nuns. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

201 views | 1 faves

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

Nearing the end of day 1 after two false turns and adding two hours and an unhealthy amount of unnecessary climbing to our day, we rolled through some of the best forested singletrack we'd ride all week. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

481 views | 6 faves

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

The whole Alta Rezia region is littered with ancient farms, many showing the signs of suffering decades of inclement weather, being buried in metres of snow in the winter. Photo by Dan Milner

Alta Rezia

DanMilner: Alta-Rezia
in: XC Riding

559 views | 1 comments | 12 faves

Alta Rezia
Dan and Guillaume

Taking the Bernina Express train out of St Moritz delivered us to the Bernina Pass at 2252m (pictured). The line is 100 years old and still runs with Swiss punctuality, unlike ourselves who arrived at our Monastery accommodation that night 2 hours late after having taken 2 wrong turns en route. Photo by Dan Milner