# Lake Garda or Chatel?



## The Giant Yeti Girl (Nov 27, 2013)

Hello riders,

I am an intermediate rider planning my first European MTB trip. I have been offered two very good packages to Chatel in the French/Swiss border and in lake Garda Italy.

I am a solo traveler and both places seem to accommodate for single riders. I am a bit perplexed at which destination to pick as they are both wonderful. I know I am comparing organges to bananas but worth asking in case someone has been to both places and has some recommendations.

Cheers


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## O5-KR (May 15, 2012)

I have been to Chatel with the bike and hiking with the family. I have only been to Lake Garda doing tourism, but I have seen plenty of pictures of AM/Enduro epic rides.

If you have good first hand info I am sure Lake Garda is wonderful but still, Morzine is an MTB mecca, is our whistler, you can do it all, epic remote rides, lift assisted epic rides, endless sessioning of bikepark, pump tracks.... whatever you can think of, and whichever is your skill set.

Chatel is more hardcore oriented. The most famous dh's include massive drops and huge gaps I could never hit. 

On a side note, I recommend you stay at morzine rather than chatel, you can shuttle/ride to any of the 7 resorts. Chatel is one of the best spots but will you miss Champery DH, Avoriaz, AM trails to Montriand lake, Portes du Soleil route, etc, etc.? You have better "commuting" and more after-ride options sleeping in Morzine.


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## The Giant Yeti Girl (Nov 27, 2013)

Thanks!! Problem is because of work I wont be able to go before September so Morzine will simply be closed. Honestly I feel I would enjoy more natural trails as I am not so big on pumptracks and bike parks.

If I still go to Chatel what places do you recommend I ride? Would these be accessible in September? I mean Champery DH, Avoriaz, AM trails to Montriand lake, Portes du Soleil route...etc


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## O5-KR (May 15, 2012)

September sounds a little risky for Morzine IMO. 
I would suggest rather mid june to mid august.
You can get snow & sudden weather changes

Take a look at this website. For instance, chatel. 
Châtel Bike Park / WorldBikeParks 
you can see the ratings of the trails at chatel.

Morzine and Les Gets has more "intermediate" trails.

There is plenty of parkbike trails but also lift assisted AM. Imagine you can x10 the DH for the same feet climbed, all in a high mountain environment.

Portes du soleil is a classic route, you need to be very fit to do it in one day, You can also cheat and use the help of the lifts as needed. You can also ride from your resort and do half of it one day and the other half another day. It is also a race event that congregates hundreds of riders. They have a website.

If you are intermediate I would stay in the bike park environment, because climbing yourself is very demanding there. All is steep and high altitude. Dog miles. Champery DH is a classical world cup run. Very famous, ... veeery steep, rooty and wet. Actually it is Switzerland.

If you want to ride AM in September, you may want to consider also the maritime alps or the pyrinees, or even better, the coast mountain ranges in Spain, France or Italy. I can not help with more specific information though, since I used to do all my riding close to where I lived.


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## The Giant Yeti Girl (Nov 27, 2013)

Hmm sounds like I would be missing out on alot if I go to Chatel in September. Give me examples of maritime alps spots... or maybe I should just go to Garda


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## O5-KR (May 15, 2012)

I am afraid you will have to investigate ! I could only help if you went to the north east of Spain or Andorra.

Check on instagram or local forums and ask people there.

Garda must be wonderful for sure !

Enjoy


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## Ghost_HTX (Sep 19, 2014)

I've hiked and bike a little around Northern Italy and have been in the area around Lake Garda. I don't have any info on Chatel, sorry.

The cool thing about Lake Garda is that the area around it is very varied - to the west is forested and hilly, to the north is more heavily urbanised but parts are hilly and open, to the south is relatively flat farmland (great for roadies) and to the west is Monte Baldo. I hiked around Monte Baldo when I was there last (IIRC it was late August). It is really lovely there and I saw a lot of guys on MTBs too. Just look out for the cows and the sheep - there are lots of them on the mountain. There are trails all over the mountain too (I kept to the side facing the lake, so the back side is unknown to me).

For non - riding related activities I would go Check out Sirmione right on the southern tip of the lake - its a little old fortified town with awesome gelato! Plus Garda town (south east side is nice. Limone Sul Garda (on the west side, as the lake narrows) is also a quaint old town (but really touristy in parts)... 

All in all, Garda is a nice place to be Close to Milan too - so not too far from the airport.

But... for the ultimate MTB experience in Northern Italy I would really recommend Livigno.

It's a bit of a schlep to get there (it's in a valley between Switzerland and Italy and also a tax free zone, so cheap food and drink) as it is waaaay in the north of Italy and you will need a car to get there (I'm talking about a days drive from Milan). It is effing awesome, however. Right up high (around 1800m IIRC) and the centre for trekking, skiing (alpine and XC), running, hiking and biking for the entire area. A lot of pro athletes (skiers mainly) go there to train at altitude so there is a sports shop on more or less every street. Plus September is off season so the hotel rates should be low too. Trails? Oh there are trails out the yin yang up there, of all sorts of diffculty. My personal favorite was the loop from the town centre to Lago di Livigno, round the mountain to Lago San Giacomo, round the other side of the mountain and back - 60 km +/- and almost all of it on dirt.

For me, Livigno is best, but Garda is really very nice too.

Yes, I know you didn't ask about Livigno, but I thought I would share. I like Livigno.

Livigno.


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## The Giant Yeti Girl (Nov 27, 2013)

Thanks 

As a first mtb trip in Italy I will probably stick to something easier to reach but I will keep Livigno in mind for next visits.

Ever heard of MTB in Torbole sul garda? This is where the guide I spoke with stays


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## Ghost_HTX (Sep 19, 2014)

No problem 

I've driven trough Torbole a few times (if it is the one I am thinking of it is on the north shore of the lake; next to Riva?).

Never stopped there, though. The times I've been to Garda I've lived in Macesina, Limone sul Garda & Marciaga and spent a fair bit of time in Riva and Saló. The good thing about going to this area in September is that you are more likely to get nice weather than if you go further north. I've been more to Trentino than Veneto and I can say that it is a distinct possibility to get snow in northern Italy in July...

Either way Torbole (if it is the one I am thinking of) is within pedalling distance of some great terrain (just north of Monte Baldo and the surrounding hills) and more or less everything on and around the lake is accessible within a 30 - 60 minute drive and the drive itself is nice because it is a beautiful place!

This isn't me, but check out the vid here if you want an idea of what the place looks like;


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## MTBNate (Apr 6, 2004)

Ghost_HTX said:


> I've hiked and bike a little around Northern Italy and have been in the area around Lake Garda. I don't have any info on Chatel, sorry.
> 
> The cool thing about Lake Garda is that the area around it is very varied - to the west is forested and hilly, to the north is more heavily urbanised but parts are hilly and open, to the south is relatively flat farmland (great for roadies) and to the west is Monte Baldo. I hiked around Monte Baldo when I was there last (IIRC it was late August). It is really lovely there and I saw a lot of guys on MTBs too. Just look out for the cows and the sheep - there are lots of them on the mountain. There are trails all over the mountain too (I kept to the side facing the lake, so the back side is unknown to me).
> 
> ...


awesome!

The wife has booked us 3 nights this coming Colombus Day weekend in *Sirmione*, so any other Pro-Tips would be appropriated - we are driving down from southern Germany


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## Ghost_HTX (Sep 19, 2014)

Cool! I was only ever in Sirmione in the evening - so it was all dining, drinking, ice cream (the BEST ice cream!) and so on. To be honest it was a few years back now.
The lake front is really nice and if you get the chance to hire a speed boat (IIRC it cost me 80EUR for 1/2 a day and I left my driving license as deposit) it is SOOOOO worth it!

Since you are driving it is best to know that it is a very small medieval town; normal cars aren't allowed in as far as I can remember - there is a big car park before you enter the narrow land bridge to get to town and also I believe that the hotels there run shuttle buses to and from... But if you're only there for a few days, it shouldn't be too much of a schlep to carry your bags to the hotel? Totally up to you of course! Not too sure about leaving bikes on a rack on the car there (if you take your bike with you, of course)... 

Weather permitting; I would really recommend taking the time to visit a little of the North on the way down from Germany. Then again this depends on your route. 

If you go via Austria (I would recommend this) then you will most likely cross into Italy at the Brenner Pass (twisty turny alpine roads FTW  ) - this means that you can check out Bolzano/Bolzen and some of the other places round about. The hiking and biking in this area is killer & if you are up for it I would recommend the Passo Pordoi or Passo Sella (just Google "Passo Pordoi MTB") - It is only a little out of the way to the east, just past a nice little place called Canazei - we've stayed there twice (Hotel Croce Bianca) and it is fantastic!

If you go via Switzerland it is a little different - much lower and flatter and urbanised. You cross over close to Lake Como. To be honest we only ever drove through that area so I don't know it too well. We stayed one time at a place called Bellagio - right where the lake forks into two (south end) but there wasn't a lot of biking - just relaxing and enjoying the good food etc. The lake is lovely and IIRC we saw a lot of roadies but not so much MTB action.

Milan is really cool for a day trip - shopping of sight seeing. Check out the Navigare area (the canals). It is lovely there - really chilled out to be a big European city.

Yeah... if you have any particular questions just ask - I'm not the authority on Northern Italy, but I have been there a bunch of times & am keen to pass on any info I can


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## MTBNate (Apr 6, 2004)

Had a blast, thx for the info - we drove down from Stuttgart to Italy via the Fernpaß > Innsbruke > the Brenner Pass toll road and into Italy thru the Dolomites on the Autostrada.

We decided not to being bikes on the Mini opting to use this as a 'scouting/site seeing' trip.

Lots to see in fact:

_Zugspitze_, seen from the Fernpaß


















Lake Garda (looking north)









Just north of the town of Garda









*Sirmione*



























*Venice*


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