An extreme tour leads from Naturno through the Val di Fosse up to the Passo Gelato at almost 3,000 metres above sea level
Image gallery: MTB tour to the Gelato Pass and the Petrarca Hut
On this August day, a challenging but scenic MTB tour takes us to the Passo Gelato, a 3,000-metre-high pass between the Val Senales and Val Passiria valleys. We start our tour early in the morning in the village of Naturno and follow the main road into the Val Senales, where the glacier mummy Oetzi was found. After nine kilometres along the state road, a side valley branches off to the right: the Val di Fosse, or Pfossental, shaped over millennia by ice and water.
Now the climb begins, taking us up to Casera di Fuori (Vorderkaser). This hamlet, at 1,693 metres above sea level, is a small cluster of farms. The road is asphalted up to this point. From here, we continue our mountain bike tour along the hiking trail, following the stream. The forest path leads us upwards, and we pedal on until we reach the Rableid Hut in the Gruppo di Tessa Nature Park.
The hike along the famous Merano High Route also leads to this beloved alpine pasture at over 2,000 metres above sea level. We continue over a short, steeper section to the Maso Gelato farms, where our MTB tour becomes significantly steeper and more demanding. A newly paved path (no. 24 and 46) with stone slabs leads us higher and higher until we reach the Passo Gelato, called Eisjöchl, the highest point of our tour. Then we stop at the Petrarca all'Altissima Hut.
It was destroyed by an avalanche some years ago but has since been rebuilt, and take in the South Tyrolean mountain world. Afterwards, we head downhill to the Lazins Hut at 1,882 metres. It is located in the Valle di Plan, a side valley of the Val Passiria, at the foot of Mt. Cima Altissima. After a quick bite to eat - our arms especially need a rest from the constant braking on the descent - we follow the path out of the valley, from Plan to San Leonardo in Passiria.
From there, the gravelled Val Passiria Cycle Path takes us to the spa town of Merano and then along the asphalted cycle path to Naturno, where our tour ends right where it began. It has taken us through two South Tyrolean valleys. Almost 3,000 metres of altitude difference, nearly 100 kilometres and eight hours of riding are successfully behind us!
Author: Andreas Pichler
Experienced: August 2019
Last updated: 2026
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- Starting point:
- Naturno village centre (528 m a.s.l.)
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- Overall time:
- 08:00 h
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- Total route length:
- 91,8 km
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- Altitude:
- from 301 m to 2.895 m
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- Altitude difference (uphill | downhill):
- +2956 m | -2956 m
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- Route:
- Naturno - Val Senales - Val di Fosse - Casera di Fuori Hut - Rableid Hut - Maso Gelato - Passo Gelato - Petrarca Hut - Lazins Hut - Plan - San Leonardo in Passiria - Merano - Naturno
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- Signposts:
- "Vorderkaser/Casera di Fuori", no. 24, 26, "Stettiner Hütte/Rifugio Francesco Petrarca", cycle path (Merano, Naturno)
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- Destination:
- Passo Gelato (2,895 m a.s.l.)
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- Resting points:
- Jägerrast Verderkas mountain inn (Easter to All Saints' Day), Rableid Hut (May to October), Maso Gelato (May/June to October), Petrarca all'Altissima Hut (July to September), Lazins Hut (May to October)
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- MTB tour to the Gelato Pass and the Petrarca Hut
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- More information:
- The overall time shown above refers to the cycling time only, not including breaks or stops.
We highly recommend checking the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before starting this tour.
