Kaltern – Valle dei Laghi
Mountain Passes: Mendel Pass, Passo Predaia, Candriai
Level: 4/5
The Mendel Pass is the local mountain of Kaltern, cyclists ride up there after work and enjoy the descent in the evening sun. There is even a car-free day when cyclists take over the pass road. Whoever talks about road biking in Kaltern mentions the Mendel in the same breath. It goes straight up from the front door. The sixth stage starts in the same way, without a diversion into the climb, and soon the forest opens and gives the first views over the Adige Valley and Lake Kaltern - the panorama factor of this pass road is very high. The pass has a rather modest altitude of 1363 metres, but the deep view of the lake almost 1200 metres further down has an effect that makes it great. The Mendel finally forms the border to the Val di Non, one of the largest apple orchards in Europe. Here, the route goes up the eastern flank of the wide valley to Passo Predaia. This is brand new in the Transalp books and not only marks the highest point of the valley circuit, but also offers a change from the fruit tree cultures further down with its sparse larch forests. The descent ends where the Noce River squeezes through a narrow cut into the Adige Valley. Side roads and the cycle path now lead along the Adige to Trento, the capital of the Trentino region. This is where the last climb up towards Monte Bondone begins. But it doesn't go all the way up, just to the village of Candriai. Now it is not far via Sopramonte down to the shore of Lago di Terlago, which lies just behind the saddle that separates the lively Trento and the Adige valley from the quiet Valle dei Laghi, the valley of the lakes.
