Gambarie Bike Park
Discovering Aspromonte on two wheels
Inaugurated in July 2019, the Gambarie Bike Park represents a unique opportunity to experience the Aspromonte park from a different perspective, while riding a mountain bike. In fact, among the woods and beach wood, there are winding paths for everyone and every level of expertise, from which it is possible to admire the incredible panorama of the Strait and the Aeolian Islands.
The park has eight routes marked by different colours that represent degrees of difficulty, five of which can be travelled both uphill and downhill: the white path for the entire family; the red, yellow, and black trails for adrenaline lovers; the three most challenging circuits for professionals who wants to try their hands at the uphill and downhill sections of the woods.
The easiest routes
The Scoiattolo path (Level of expertise: 3)
This is a short path of low difficulty that is cross country, which is also suitable for children and beginners. It begins shortly after one passes the barracks belonging to the forest police and crosses down a chestnut coppice, then goes up again on an easy dirt track.
The Path of the Wolves (Level of expertise: 4)
It starts from the Pista Azzurra and is of medium-low difficulty. It is suitable for beginners, but not for children. It starts first with a dirt track, covered in the shade of beech and fir trees, and then becomes asphalted for almost the entire route, which winds downhill and allows you to enjoy the view of some lookout points that are of unique naturalistic importance.
The routes with medium difficulty
The Path of the Fairies (Level of expertise: 5)
Also suitable for beginners, the Fairy Trail is a cross-country path of medium-low difficulty that starts from Piazza Mageruca and crosses first through a beech wood forest and then streams and small seasonal waterways. It can be travelled in both directions and it does not have challenging gradients, even if it has several uphill and downhill sections.
The Path of the Pine Forests (Level of expertise: 5)
A cross-country path that can also be tackled by children and beginners, which winds like a ring on unpaved terrain, starting from the upper part of the town of Terreni Rossi, passing through forest tracks rich in larch pines. It presents small gradients.
The most difficult routes
The Paths of the Strait (Level of expertise: 8)
Only suitable for experts, it is endurance path that requires a mountain bike and suitable equipment, as it is completely immersed in beech-woods. It takes place downhill using dirt roads and the neighbouring areas of Pista Azzurra and presents some technical passages with an important slope. You can lengthen the itinerary by joining it to the Mancusa Route.
The Path of the Beech Woods (Level of expertise: 8)
An endurance path of high difficulty, it is not suitable for children or beginners. It starts with a dirt track halfway along the Pista Azzurra and then turns left to reach the beech groves, where you can continue with more freedom while having fun among the trees. It can be joined to the Beech Woods path in the upper part.
The Path of the Brigand (Level of expertise: 8)
It is an all-mountain route that starts from the beginning of the Pista Azzurra, passing through beech and fir trees to then goes uphill and downhill until it reaches the Rumia lake. It involves several technical intervals that are to be approached carefully and for this reason, it is not a suitable route for children or beginners.
The Mancusa Path (Level of expertise: 9)
It starts from the base of the top of Monte Scirocco and is the most challenging path, making it unsuitable for children and beginners. It presents important slopes and technical intervals.
For more information, consult the website: https://www.operatorigambarie.it/bikepark
