Mountain Bike recommended route

Cardada Bike (SwitzerlandMobility 397)

Mountain Bike · Ascona-Locarno
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  • Photo: Alessio Pizzicannella, Ascona-Locarno Tourism
Adventurous circuit route in the surroundings of Cardada and Val Resa with start and finish in Locarno.
difficult
Distance 30.7 km
5:30 h
1,425 m
1,425 m
1,495 m
205 m
The tour starts at the SBB train station in Locarno-Muralto and the first part leads up to Monte Brè along a pleasant ascent on an asphalted road and is followed by a somewhat steeper path with a spectacular view into the Centovalli. Approximately 3 km after the village Brè, the first part of the singletrack begins, at first slightly ascending then flat and flowing until the track leads to a final climb up to the Alpe Cardada.

The singletrack to Val Resa is fast and leads along technically challenging serpentine twisty trails. After leaving the dense forest the road proceeds along a beautiful route with panoramic views of Lake Maggiore and the town, back to the starting point. The Cardada-Val Resa route is a medium difficulty route. There are passages of varying difficulty. There are both sections with varying degrees of difficulty as well as easy and flowing sections.

As an alternative one can reach Orselina by funicular from Locarno and then Cardada by cable car in just 5 minutes, leaving from Orselina (395 m.a.s.l.). This variation is recommended to all those who want to avoid the first climb of the tour and prefer to tackle only the route to Val Resa.

Profile picture of Mariano Berri
Author
Mariano Berri 
Update: March 28, 2024
Difficulty
S2 difficult
Technique
Stamina
Highest point
1,495 m
Lowest point
205 m
Best time of year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Track types

Dirt road 13.49%Path 22.05%Road 64.44%
Dirt road
4.1 km
Path
6.8 km
Road
19.8 km
Show elevation profile

Rest stops

Albergo Ristorante Cardada
Casa Colmanicchio
Capanna Cimetta
Capanna Cardada
Capanna Lo Stallone

Safety information

  • Wear protective gear.
  • Assess your capability accurately.
  • Give hikers right of way.
  • Stay on the trail.
  • Close fence gates.

An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted.

Start

Locarno
Coordinates:
SwissGrid
2'705'180E 1'114'376N
DD
46.172647, 8.800622
DMS
46°10'21.5"N 8°48'02.2"E
UTM
32T 484609 5113249
w3w 
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Destination

Locarno

Turn-by-turn directions

Locarno, Stazione-Locarno, Città Vecchia-Monti della Trinità-Brè sopra Locarno-Capanna Cardada-Capanna Lo Stallone-Giorledo-Resa di fuori-Tendrasca-Brione s.Minusio-Orselina-Locarno, Stazione.

Public transport

Public-transport-friendly

Coordinates

SwissGrid
2'705'180E 1'114'376N
DD
46.172647, 8.800622
DMS
46°10'21.5"N 8°48'02.2"E
UTM
32T 484609 5113249
w3w 
///mutual.movement.below
Get there by train, car, bike, or on foot!

Similar routes nearby

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 These suggestions were generated by our system
Difficulty
S2 difficult
Distance
30.7 km
Duration
5:30 h
Ascent
1,425 m
Descent
1,425 m
Highest point
1,495 m
Lowest point
205 m
Public-transport-friendly Round trip Scenic Refreshment stops available Cableway ascent/descent Singletrail/Free ride Insider tip Enduro

Weather at the route's trailhead

Statistics

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Features
Maps and trails
  • 10 Waypoints
  • 10 Waypoints
Distance  km
Duration : h
Ascent  m
Descent  m
Highest point  m
Lowest point  m
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