Transalp stage 7 - Arrival at the Garda Lake

Ponte Arche - Passo San Giovanni al Monte - Tennosee - Riva - Torbole (39 km, 1090 hm)

Today, we are very tired during our breakfast and nly slowly get into the swing. Due to the reason the hotel is located at a main road, we did not sleep very well. But we get motivated by the idea of sitting thhis evening at the am Lago del Garda and enjoy a huge cup of ice cream.

Up to San Giovanni al Monte

However, we are not riding our bikes until 10.00 a.m. and struggle the first altitude metres up on the main road to Madonna di Vigo (1087 altitude metres). Then we continue on gravel surfaces and forest trails to the Passo San Giovanni al Monte. We have a snack and make a lot of pictures at the cross. We catch the first sight to the Garda Lake and really look forward to the beautiful trail down to Tennosee and Bastione to Riva.

Soon, we have made it! Some steep hairpin bends, a lot of scree and deep gravel require again a lot of technical talent during the descent. We also have to cycle through the narrow paved road with an incline of 23% with olive groves, vineyards and fruit plantations to Bastione and Riva. Once arrived at the bottom, my brake blocks are not there any more and the rims are burning. We drive straight from Riva to Torbole and stand, happy and satisfied, on the beach. of course we do not abstain from having all a bath together in the lake as this is simply a must after a succeeding transalp tour!

At the Garda Lake

The Garda Lake is the biggest lake of Italy and is located between the Alps and the plain of the Po at a height of 65 metres above sea level. The administration is shared by three provinces that are Trentino in the north, Verona in the east and Brescia in the west. The Garda Lake is very popular among the tourists. Many people from the south of Germany and Austria who are having a short break spend some beautiful days here and enjoy a diverse sports offering. The places Riva and Torbole are very popular among the surfers, as due to the so-called "ora" in the afternoons, the wind conditions are right. Also, the mountain bikers get their money worth. There are countless paths around the Garda lake with dream trails on which it is possible to cycle. The place Arco is well known among the climbers. There are many hiking paths and climbing routes surround the mountains of this area. The most renowed are apparently the Monte Baldo with a height of 2218m and the Roccetta with a height of 1575 m.

We are all very happy of having arrived with the mountain bikes in good health, without any injuries and also without any bigger technical problems with the mountain bikes. On such a tour, two punctures and two lost brake blocks are almost without significance and/or to be considered as normal. We go to our respective hotels and meet in the Hotel Central in Torbole in order to have our final dinner there.

Still on the same day, Carsten and Christian are picked up by their families and the rest of us spend another day in in Torbole and take the shuttle bus back to Miesbach and/or Munich.

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Author: Kirsten Huber; Copyright: Patrick Wagner, www.tourist-guide.biz