Following a good winter season, the Pontedilegno-Tonale area is preparing for summer with plenty of outdoor options. Trekking and cycling will be protagonists on the Great War Paths, from the Giro d’Italia to the ultra-running event
Following a winter season that has brought a solid number of visitors back to the Alta Val Camonica and Alta Val di Sole (Northern Italy), the Pontedilegno-Tonale area shifts its focus to the summer period, which will once again be characterized by outdoor sports initiatives and events, obviously including Adamello Ultra Trail. As per tradition, the ultra-running event will bring down the summer season’s curtain on 23-25 September weekend.
The Director of the Pontedilegno-Tonale Consortium, Michele Bertolini, commented on the season that just ended and discussed the expectations for the one that is starting.
“Given the conditions, we can be happy with this winter season. The looming uncertainty over COVID restrictions did not help, and had an impact especially on foreign visitors, but we had a good response from locals. The good weather encouraged attendance even for short periods. Now we are ready to move on to the summer challenge.”
The Giro d’Italia provided the first major moment of the season, crossing the area on May 24th and 25th with two significant mountain stages.The Pink Race also passed by several locations along the Adamello Ultra Trail’s route, such as Edolo, Monno, Ponte di Legno, Passo del Tonale and Vermiglio.
“We were pleased to host the Giro d’Italia again, after the stage finish in 2019,” continued Bertolini. “We believe and invest in cycling: on June 11th, the Pontedilegno-Tonale Bike Park will open for the summer season, while on December 17th, the UCI Cyclocross World Cup will return to Vermiglio for the only stage on snowy terrain in the World.”
Trekking and running are other key activities for the area: the paths that retrace the Great War Trails, well-known by the Adamello Ultra Trail lovers, are pivotal for the area’s promotion and development, combining competition, culture and heritage. Examples of that are the wine experiences near Corno d’Aola, Alveo Presena and Lago d’Aviolo, some of the military sites crossed by the race, or the concerts of the Water Music Festival at Lake Valbiolo.
All the “Top Experiences” of the area can be found on the Consortium’s official website, www.pontedilegnotonale.com, and are accessible at a special price thanks to the Adamello Card, gifted by the accommodation facilities to their guests.
Finally, on Sunday, September 18th, the Adamello Ultra Trail week will kick off with the Junior event, dedicated to kids and teenagers. The following weekend, starting on Friday 23rd, the best ultra-runners on the international scene will compete on the paths of the Great War, winding between Lombardy and Trentino and crossing the Adamello and Stelvio Nature Parks.
INFO AND REGISTRATIONS
The Adamello Ultra Trail offers three distances and routes: the two classic ones, 170 km (11,500 m elevation gain) and 90 km (6,050 m elevation gain), and the 35 km one (1,700 m elevation gain), first introduced in 2021.
The program will get off from Vezza d’Oglio (Brescia, Italy) at 7.00 AM on Friday, September 23rd, with the start on the intermediate distance, followed by the Ultra Trail distance at 9.00 AM. The athletes registered for the short distance will start at 2.00 PM on Saturday afternoon, September 24th. The awarding ceremonies for all distances will be held on Sunday, September 25th.
