Pila Downhill to Aosta

Ride Duration: All Day or Half Day

Location (nearest city or town): Pila, Italy

Ride Type : FreeRide


Introduction: A half day pass from 10,50 Euro and a hole day for 15, 50 is very worth the price.  A nice variety of trail possibilities:

The routes are suitable for all free-ride enthusiasts. Departing from Pila and arrives at Aosta, with a length of 8 km and a variation in altitude of 1170 metres. These characteristics can be increased up to 11 km and an overall variation in altitude of 1730 metres by using tracks above the route, making it unique of its kind for this reason.

The Aosta-Pila trail can be described as a free-ride route of medium difficulty and can be ridden either by downhill mountain bike, for those who enjoy the challenge of time and speed, as well as on free-ride or Enduro bikes, for those who prefer to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding landscape as well as for evolution fans who can enjoy tackling the most technical and even artificial passages.

The route begins close to the departure station for the "Chamolé" chairlift, at an altitude of 1750m altitude. The first part passes through an area of meadow and initially has a series of tight bends before straightening out and entering an open wood, where various single-track passages have been created.
 
After another meadow area, the route reaches the "ACROBATIC ZONE". This is a part that has been created inside a pine wood with a small valley where various artificial passages have been built, such as wooden drops, jumps of various kinds and sizes, compressions and raised curves. The area is brilliant for those who want to try out their technical and acrobatic abilities and – why not – take a few photographs or a video to immortalise their skills.

The route crosses a small farm road and offers two alternatives. Turning to the left, after a short flat stretch of around 300 metres, it reaches some houses from which you can see the intermediate "Plan Praz" station (altitude ….. m) on the Aosta–Pila cable car, therefore providing the possibility of returning back up to Pila in just a few minutes.

In the other direction, by choosing the right turn, the route follows a level path and continues to descend towards Aosta. At around the point where it reaches the "Charvensac" alpine pastures, the track skirts the edge of a meadow area on the left before arriving at a steep and tortuous path through a wood until it reaches a junction with the regional Aosta-Pila road.

At this point, once again there are two alternative routes. The first climbs the asphalt road for about 400 metres to reach the "Les Fleurs" intermediate station (altitude …. m) on the Aosta–Pila cable car, with the possibility of using it to climb once again back up to Pila. The second route across the road enables you to continue on down to Aosta.

The route continues into an area of undergrowth for around 1.5 km, with various changes in gradient and variations in the type of route (wide and narrow paths) and terrain (steep ground, etc.) until it reaches the asphalt road leading to the village of Coassod. Here, turn left for 50-60 m and then right onto a downhill stretch where you can increase speed in order to deal with a natural upward slope which is suitable for evolutions. The trail continues on through an open wood which offers various possible routes until it reaches "Leysettaz". Once through the village, the trail drops once again for about 1 km on an unmetalled road with various bends, which is great fun because it is repeatedly used by mountain bikes.

The route then reaches the bend of an asphalt road which skirts it to the right, before heading once again into a woodland. Alternatively, on the left, you can take the "quarries detour". This detour, once you have reached Chanté on the right, enters a wood where the quarries are, before continuing on to rejoin the main route.

After about 200m, before crossing the path of the Aosta-Pila cable car, the route forks. To the left is the steep and tortuous "technical detour" of around 300m, which then rejoins the main route. To the right, on leaving the woodland, the trail follows a torrent on an unmetalled road before bearing left and crossing the water. It continues on through a small valley, in a deciduous wood along a fairly smooth path beside a stream.

   Additional Information
   ( 1= Lowest and 10 = Highest )
[ 0 = Looking for more Information on this Trail ]

   Fun Factor Rating : 8

   Scenic Sights and Views: : 8

   Endurance Required: : 8

   Technical Skills Required: 8

   Trail Head Information: By Air
Flight to Milan's Malpensa 2000 or Turin's Caselle airport, then by car or coach.
With Airvallée you can get directly to Aosta's Corrado Gex Airport.
Service of transfer from and to Milano Malpensa Airport.
By car
From italy: motorway A5 Torino-Aosta (99 km). Exit Aosta Est, then follow the regional road in the direction Pollein-Charvensod-Pila.
From abroad: Via the Great St Bernard tunnel, then on State Highway SS 27 to Aosta or via the Mont Blanc Tunnel, then on State Highway SS 26 to Aosta. From Aosta, follow the signs to Gressan-Pila.
By train
From Turin or Milan to Aosta via Chivasso. The cable car to Pila is joined to the station by a short pedestrian subway.


   Other Information: There are Decent Bike rentals and helmets available if you don't want to bring yours.