One of the most impressive MTB tours leads over the 3,125-metre Passo del Madriccio between the Valle di Solda and the Val Martello
Image gallery: MTB tour to the Passo del Madriccio
Good fitness and training are essential for this challenging tour. It is early September - the weather is sunny and not too hot. We start in Spondigna, where the Passo dello Stelvio road branches off from the Passo Resia road, and cycle along the path through the alluvial forests of the Arena di Prato towards Prato allo Stelvio. This is where the first steep climb begins. We follow the pass road as far as the village of Ponte Stelvio, where a forest path branches off to the left, marked "Solda".
This shortcut up the slope bypasses the first hairpin bends of the Solda road and Gomagoi. We then ride on asphalt to Solda di Fuori, through Solda and on to the cable car valley station, which is already at an altitude of 1,920 metres. We have gained over 1,000 metres in altitude here. The cable car ride up to the Città di Milano Hut (Schaubachhütte, permanently closed) is a welcome relief, saving us 700 metres of climbing. Once at the top, the challenging part begins.
We take the gravel track that winds up parallel to the ski lift to the Madriccio Hut at 2,820 metres. After a lunch break, we tackle the final section of the climb. Alternating between pedalling and pushing - sometimes through snowfields - we reach the Passo del Madriccio at 3,125 metres. An impressive view of the mighty Ortles Alps is the reward for our efforts.
Now the question is: How flowy will the trail down to Martello be? The first section is barely rideable, as the stones are too steep, slippery, and jagged - meaning we have to carry our bikes downhill. However, the terrain soon allows for a fast descent with fantastic views. Take extra care in this section! Just before the Nino Corsi Hut, the trail turns left towards the Genziana mountain inn. With asphalt under our tyres, the descent begins down the entire Val Martello to Morter.
We end our tour here. Those wishing to return to the starting point can take the Via Claudia Augusta cycle route from here. Forests, glaciers, stony deserts, high alpine heathland... this mountain bike tour in the Stelvio National Park features all of this and more, leaving a lasting impression. Cycling at an altitude of over 3,000 metres is certainly not an everyday occurrence!
Author: AT
Experienced: September 2013
Last updated: 2026
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- Starting point:
- Spondigna (890 m a.s.l.)
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- Overall time:
- 07:00 h
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- Total route length:
- 58,2 km
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- Altitude:
- from 709 m to 3.125 m
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- Altitude difference (uphill | downhill):
- +1572 m | -2431 m
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- Route:
- Spondigna - Arena di Prato - Prato allo Stelvio - Ponte Stelvio - Solda di Fuori - Solda - Città di Milano Hut - Madriccio Hut - Passo del Madriccio - Genziana inn - Martello Valley - Morter
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- Destination:
- Passo del Madriccio (3,125 m a.s.l.)
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- Resting points:
- Madriccio Hut, Nino Corsi Hut (both from June to October), Genziana inn (all year round)
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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 Passo del Madriccio
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- More information:
- The overall time shown above refers to the cycling time only, not including breaks or stops. Exercise great caution around the Passo del Madriccio: There are frequent short sections where the descent is too dangerous. The information relates to the route from Spondigna to Morter - the Morter–Spondigna section can be covered via the Via Claudia Augusta (20 km).
We highly recommend checking the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before starting this tour.
