HOTEL VOLTA CANZO - Percorsi in bici da strada e MTB

Description: Cainallo is one of the mythical group of climbs that allows the direct connection between the sides of the Lario and the Valsassina. Probably this slope is the longest and the hardest among the others climbs of such group: the “Vendrogno” (see the page Turn of the Valsassina), the “Val Varrone”, the “Gitana” and the “Bellano-Taceno. With a difference in height of 1050 meters, in fact, it is possible to reach the “Alpe Cainallo” at 1296 m AMSL, from the wonderful lake-front of Varenna. The climb, that measures nearly 18 km, is characterized by the nearly total absence of automotive traffic and by an infinite number of hairpin bend. As you go up, the landscape becomes more and more wild, above all after the town Esino Lario, where the last houses leave space to the vegetation and the typical cliffs of the Mountain group of Grigna. The locality of arrival, called “Alpe of Cainallo” (you can see a photo over here) is located just to the base of the Grignone Mount and, from the end of the climb, the road will lead you to turn around it in order to pass in the Valsassina Valley. This tour is very hard and you need a good physical preparation to face it, but it will sure give you a lot of satisfactions.

Road Book: At the beginning of the proposed tour you have to head for the Segrino Lake (southwards), and you’ll have to go along its shores until its ending. When you’ll reach the crossroads you have to follow the indication to Pusiano. Turning on the left following this indication, you’ll keep go along the lake shores until the roundabout near the locality called “Punt di Nacc”, where it is necessary to keep the left towards Pusiano. This country, that you’ll reach after a descent characterized by a low slope and by some hairpin curves, is placed on the coast of the Pusiano Lake, also nominated in the famous Segantini verses with the name of “Eupili me”. Here it is necessary to turn on the left at the traffic light and follow the indications for Lecco. It’s very important that, once you’ve overstepped the built-up area of Suello, in the locality called “Borima” and before entering the two-lane highway SS36 (in which it is forbidden to travel by bicycle) you take on the right the cycle track that goes on near the shores of another lake: the Annone and Oggiono Lake. When you’ll arrive to the end of the cycle track it is possible to take the old road to Lecco, passing under the bridge that leads to the entrance of the modern tunnel that crosses the Mount Barro. The road you’ve taken with its two lanes continues until the doors of the city of Lecco, where you’ll find a large roundabout and the bridge that allows you to cross the water strip that delimits the border between the Como Lake and the Adda River. Crossing this bridge you’ll enter in the city of Lecco, where it is necessary to go straight on until the traffic light. Turning on the left, you’ll take the street that will lead to you to Lecco lake-front, that you have to cover until the end of the city. The lake-front street will become a two-lane road (open also to bikes) and after some kilometres you’ll enter the SS36 highway. This part of SS36 is allowed to bikes until the exit for Abbadia Lariana and Mandello. You have to follow the indications for these towns and you’ll have to get over them. After few kilometres on the coastal road you’ll enter the built-up area of Varenna. Before the beginning of the gallery that cuts the center of the town it is necessary to turn on the left leaving the main road following the indications for the centre of the town and heading for the lake-front, flanking the magnificent “Villa Monastero” with his romantic gardens. When you’ll reach Varenna lake-front, near the landing-stage, it is necessary to follow the indications for Esino Lario, turning on the right. Here the climb begins and it is not more possible to mistake until Cortenova, where you’ll encounter the main road of the Valsassina. We only signal to you that after the built-up area of Esino Lario you’ll find an indication with the inscription “Cainallo” that indicates to abandon the main road. You have to keep holding the left following the main road. In Cortenova it is necessary to turn on the right towards Ballabio and it is important to remember that the road that you’ll have to run along (North to South direction) leans to go up alternating plain parts and short climbs, until the pass called “Colle del Balisio”, near the doors of Ballabio. Ballabio marks the end of the Valsassina and the beginning of the descent that, shortly time, will lead you back to the City of Lecco. We signal to you that in Ballabio it is necessary to take the old road that leads to Lecco passing through the hamlet “Laorca” in order to avoid the modern two-lane highway that leads to Lecco too, but with long not accessible to the bicycles galleries. Once you’ll enter in Lecco it is necessary to head for the Lake and the bridge on the Adda River crossed before. At the roundabout after the bridge you’ll have to turn to the right and to take the two-lane road following the indications to Erba. Such road has to be followed until its end, that coincides with the entrance in the SS36. Once again you’ll have to follow this highway for the short part (allowed to bikes) that is necessary to reach the exit to Erba, near Suello. From this point you’ll have to always go straight on, crossing the towns called Suello and Cesana Brianza. In Pusiano you’ll find a traffic light, where it is necessary to turn to the right, towards Canzo.