Mte CAUCASO - NEIRONE - Mte CAUCASO

The described route coincidentally starts at the top of Mount Caucasus, but the actual start is from 'NEIRONE'. One climbs the provincial road of Portello for a few km, surpassing 6 hairpin turns; one leaves it by taking a right onto a side road that ascends towards Pian del Pero. At the next fork, we keep right on the lower road, which, initially asphalted (with a series of curves), then unpaved, ends at 'Case Spina'. Here the trail climbs steeply to overcome an obvious bump, at the top of which there is a repeater panel; one follows the clear track that briefly ascends the slope and ventures into the nearby grove. At the first fork, keep right and begin a section of singletrack with ups and downs that skirts the mountain's slope and leads onto the dirt road towards the characteristic chapel of 'S. Rocco' that overlooks the valley below. One continues descending on unpaved ground to reach, at the lower end, the dirt road that ascends from Moconesi. From this point begins the ascent on a wide dirt road under the slopes of Mount Caucasus, ignoring any deviation to reach a clearing with tables. From this point until reaching the asphalt road that climbs up to Passo della Scoglina (3 km), the road narrows and in some sections becomes very uneven, so it is prudent to proceed with great caution. On asphalt, one reaches the Pass and continues until 600 m from Barbagelata, where, on the left (monument), the path begins that leads to Mount Caucasus (barrier) and marked with a full red triangle. After a brief ascent, the road quickly descends through the beech forest; before becoming a wide forest track, it steepens for a very short section, crossing a bump and then continues on a level until 'Passo del Gabba'. From here, one climbs left (arrow) towards the summit of the mountain, first on steep terrain, then more gently, to rise again along the path that has replaced the narrow trail. Thus, one reaches the summit and the 'Refuge' situated on the southern slope, managed for most of the year. We now return again to Passo del Gabba and turn left to follow the path marked as 'full red square' that descends steeply through the forest and meets a forest road that should be followed to the left for a short stretch of slight uphill; in the next dip, one abandons it to descend to the right where the trail continues. After some fun passages, one finds the forest track lower down and rides it until Corsiglia where one reconnects with the provincial road and returns to Neirone, not before having walked the mule path that avoids the initial hairpin bends and reaches the town center.