Lost deep in the Ligurian hinterland

I had chosen Pigna as my base to conquer Monte Torragio once again. Attentive readers of this blog will surely notice that I was already up there on the way to Ventimiglia. But there was also a demanding trail that followed the vertical path directly down to Pigna. I had saved it for a day trip to be able to fully enjoy the descent without any hindering baggage.

So I climbed up, first on asphalt roads and then on the beloved crumbling military roads all the way to Torragio. The crossing of the western flank was still ahead, and then came the entrance to the trail. At first, I was skeptical whether all the effort was worth it to come up here again. But what can I say - a killer descent in an enchanting, shimmering green wilderness. No human soul in sight, but a perfect flow on an ancient, almost forgotten donkey path.

The next day, I saddled up my luggage again to dive even deeper into the Ligurian mountains. It went to Molini di Triora in Valle Argentina. Although pretty far away from everything else in this world, this cute little outpost of civilization with only one guesthouse is a top-notch mountain biking hotspot. Numerous challenging trails were built around the village in the seclusion of the seemingly endless forests, and it is said that professionals are often spotted here for training. So, after arriving, I couldn't resist taking on a great trail in the afternoon with the last reserves of energy, the fantastic Agrifolio Trail, the flagship of the region and a top-notch technical piece.

Another day was planned for me for an epic tour in this very special trail network, this time to Passo della Guardia. Then I had definitely reached the upper limit of my technical skills, but I was also fully convinced that this region doesn't need to hide behind destinations like Finale Ligure, Lake Garda, or Davos. With the small but fine difference that very few other bikers find their way here. I would have loved to stay longer, but once again the weather turned out to be the ultimate fun spoiler and dashed my hopes. Heavy rain was forecasted for the next few days.