HOTEL VOLTA CANZO - Percorsi in bici da strada e MTB

Description: Valsassina is a splendid valley that spreads out parallely to the Branch of Lecco of Lario, on the east of the Grigna mountain range. The tour that we propose you foresees to run along this valley, from north to south, that is from Taceno to Ballabio, in order then to return to Lecco. In order to reach Taceno we suggesto you to run along the climb that is famous between cyclists with the name “Vendrogno”, which descends from the homonymous town that you’ll cross. This climb offers you splendid views of the Lake, that become more and more wide as you go up along the road. From the built-up area of Bellano, on the shores of the lake, the climb, about 16 km long, will take you to the 988 m AMSL of Narro, a little town from which it is possible to have a wide view of the whole Valsassina Valley, completely surrounded from its mountains. Between the peaks it is impossible not to recognize the Mount Grigna and the Mount Grignetta, which, from Narro point of view (you’re looking from north to south), will appear you on the right, dividing the Valsassina Valley from Como Lake. The valley has the typical characteristics of alpine valleys and alternates wide plains and narrow passages among rough cliffs.

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, Mandello and Varenna. You have to follow the indications for these towns and you’ll have to get over them. After some kilometres on the coastal road, you’ll enter the built-up area of Bellano. When you’ll reach the centre of this last town it is necessary to follow the indications for Vendrogno and Narro, turning to right. We point out that before this crossroads you’ll find another crossroads whith the indication for the Valsassina Valley, but we suggest you not to follow them because that climb is a little bit less difficulty from an altimetric point of view, but surely it’s less panoramic than the proposed one and you’ll find much more automotive traffic. When you reach Narro, the climb will finish and a short descent will take you to Casargo, where it is necessary to turn to right, towards Taceno. In this last country you’ll meet the alternative road that comes from Bellano and it is necessary to turn on the left taking the road that goes along the entire Valsassina Valley crossing small villages, such as Bindo and Introbio. We point out that this road, if covered from North to South, as you’ll have to do, leans to go up, alternating flattish parts to climbs, until the point called “Colle del Balisio”, near Ballabio, where the road becomes flat. Ballabio marks the end of the Valsassina Valley 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 higway 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 Suello and Cesana Brianza. In Pusiano you’ll find a traffic light, where it is necessary to turn to the right, towards Canzo.