Characteristics
The best way to describe this short, varied tour is that you can burn up energy on the way up to Schafstall, cool off on the way down to Brembach, two mountain sprints ahead Tagusa and the Tiosler pond. You finish off by casual coasting down via Schagul and Tiosels back to Castelrotto.
The tour starts from the tower in the picturesque centre of Castelrotto and then first of all in the direction of San Valentino on the Alpe di Siusi road. The first two kilometres only climb gently and are ideally suited for warming up.
A first steeper incline leads high up to the road leading to Wasserebene and offers stunning views. You follow this as far as the turn-off leading to Stalla delle Pecore.
The climb to Schafstall falls into the category “no mercy for your calves”. The 200m difference in altitude is demanding. The average climb reaches 20%. Fortunately, refreshments are waiting for you up at the Schafstall where you can slake your thirst and cool off.
There follows a short, crisp woodland trail that later merges into a gravel road that goes ever steeper downhill. Take care not to miss the turn-off onto hiking trail no. 9 (waymarker 18) as you descend! This hiking trail joins San Michele on the main road that you follow turning left in the direction of Castelrotto as far as Schagul.
The continuing descent along the Brembach (brook) is cool and shady. Mountain sprint no. 1 begins here. You climb on tarmac high up to the Maso Tamines Hof. The route continues on the gravel road to Tagusa, a small hamlet whose distinctive church overlooks the Val Gardena.
The somewhat longer mountain sprint no. 2 begins in Tagusa, once again a good 200m in altitude difference through the Tagusa woodland past the Tiosler pond. That was it! The rest of the loop goes back to Schgagul in a series of easy climbs and descents. With a last short climb over the side road to Tiosels you again reach the centre of Castelrotto.

Variations
1. Leaving out Schafstall: Whoever would like to avoid the steep climb to the Schafstall should continue straight ahead at waymarker 10 and cruise via Wasserebene to Tiosels. Turn right there in the direction of the main road, where you join the tour described here at waymarker 23.

2. Via Tisana to Castelrotto: Do not turn sharp left in Tagusa at waymarker 33, but bear left in the direction of Tisana. Then go left uphill and right at the Maso Ganserhof. 260m further on the hiking trail bears left back to Castelrotto.

3. Long training tour over the Alpe di Siusi: At waymarker 14 at the Schafstall turn sharp right towards Marinzen. Continue via Gstatsch and the Alpe di Siusi road to Compaccio. Go straight ahead there towards Saltria and via Monte Piz, Bulla and the Passo Pinei to San Michele. There you join the tour described here at waymarker 21 (20.7km and 654m difference in altitude uphill from the Schafstall to San Michele).

Physical condition Overall condition 2,9 Total height variation 3,0 Total distance 3,0 Maximum altitude 2,0

Riding technique Overall riding technique 3,1 Surface 2,7 Average climb gradient Ø 4,0 Average descent gradient Ø 3,0

Getting there
Coming from the north take the motorway (A22) exit for Chiusa – Alpe di Siusi/Sciliar, SS12 as far as Ponte Gardena, then in the direction of Alpe di Siusi.
Coming from the south take motorway (A22) exit for Bolzano Nord – Alpe di Siusi/Sciliar, SS12 as far as Prato all'Isarco, then in the direction of Alpe di Siusi.

Starting point
There are several car parks and underground parking facilities in all villages. Parking spaces marked in blue are subject to charges. Tickets are available from the appropriate automatic machines. All other parking spaces are free of charge.
The tour begins at the tourism association in Castelrotto.

1

0,00

0,07

1062

Tourism association Castelrotto

Straight ahead between Castelrotto tower and fountain

R -4%

00:00

00:00

2

0,07

0,06

1059

Hotel zum Wolf

Bear right

R 4%

00:00

00:00

3

0,13

0,47

1061

Sparkasse Kastelruth

Straight Marinzenweg

R 8%

00:00

00:00

4

0,60

0,74

1098

Turn-off to Telfen 6A

Bear left Seis (Siusi) 6

S 9%

00:01

00:03

5

1,34

0,70

1159

Crossroad

Straight ahead Seis (Siusi) 6

00:03

00:08

6

2,04

0,12

1160

Maso Psoar-Hof

Bear left

R -1%

00:05

00:12

7

2,16

0,49

1159

Intersection Alpe di Siusi road

Left uphill

R 7%

00:05

00:12

8

2,65

0,65

1194

Maso Schildberghof

Left uphill

R 15%

00:07

00:15

9

3,31

1,42

1291

Crossroad

Left Castelrotto

R -1%

00:09

00:19

10

4,73

0,09

1277

Junction

Bear right uphill Marinzen mountain cabin

W 15%

00:12

00:28

11

4,82

0,65

1292

Junction

Straight ahead

S 14%

00:13

00:28

12

5,47

0,21

1382

Turn-off to the Wasserebene

Straight ahead Schafstall 8

S 20%

00:14

00:32

13

5,68

0,31

1424

Junction

Straight ahead uphill Schafstall 8

S 18%

00:15

00:34

14

5,99

0,04

1476

Schafstall

Straight ahead past Schafstall

W 9%

00:16

00:35

15

6,03

0,03

1479

Intersection behind Schafstall

Right St. Michael (San Michele) 9

W 6%

00:16

00:36

16

6,06

0,28

1481

Turn-off to Bullaccia

Bear left downhill St. Michael (San Michele) 9

P -2%

00:16

00:36

17

6,34

0,90

1479

Intersection gravel road

Straight ahead steeply downhill

S -21%

00:17

00:38

18

7,24

0,12

1298

Junction

Bear left downhill hiking trail 9

00:19

00:43

19

7,36

0,09

1268

Bench at cabin

Bear Left Castelrotto 7

W-13%

00:20

00:44

20

7,45

0,16

1256

Fork near farmstead

Bear right downhill bar/restaurant

W-15%

00:20

00:44

21

7,61

0,90

1232

Maso Ritsch Hof in San Michele

Left

A -6%

00:20

00:45

22

8,51

0,17

1177

Junction to Wasserebene

Straight ahead downhill

A -7%

00:23

00:51

23

8,68

0,30

1165

Junction Tioslerweg, to sports cabin

Straight ahead downhill

A -11%

00:23

00:52

24

8,97

0,06

1136

To Schgagul / snack bar Sabine

Right Maso Radauerhof, Maso Dosserhof

R -5%

00:24

00:53

25

9,03

0,07

1133

Fork

Bear right St. Michael (San Michele) 10

R -4%

00:24

00:54

26

9,10

1,11

1130

Fork

Bear left Tagusens (Tagusa) 2A

R -14%

00:24

00:54

27

10,21

1,04

962

Junction to Brembach 5

Straight ahead Tagusa 2A

R 7%

00:27

01:01

28

11,25

1,19

1036

Maso Tamines Hof

Left Tagusa 2

S -2%

00:30

01:07

29

12,43

0,22

1013

Junction

Straight ahead

S -11%

00:33

01:14

30

12,66

0,10

991

Intersection

Bear left

S -6%

00:34

01:15

31

12,76

0,12

985

Junction

Bear right downhill Tagusa 2

00:34

01:16

32

12,88

0,53

961

Maso Neuhauserhof

Straight ahead

R -0%

00:35

01:17

33

13,41

0,10

951

Tagusa (fountain)

Sharp left Castelrotto 2

R 11%

00:36

01:20

34

13,50

0,27

963

End of tarmac

Straight ahead

S 18%

00:36

01:21

35

13,77

0,07

1010

Wayside cross

Bear right uphill

S 8%

00:7

01:22

36

13,85

0,19

1017

Crossroads tarmac road

Straight ahead uphill hiking trail

S 16%

00:37

01:23

37

14,04

0,29

1048

End of pushing bike

Straight ahead

S 14%

00:38

01:24

38

14,32

0,17

1082

Junction to Tagusens (Tagusa) 2

Straight ahead Kastelruth (Castelrotto) 2

S 5%

00:39

01:25

39

14,49

0,44

1090

Junction

Straight ahead

S 8%

00:39

01:26

40

14,93

0,10

1124

Crossroad

Bear Left Castelrotto 2a

S 4%

00:40

01:29

41

15,03

0,23

1128

Fishing pond

Straight ahead

S 9%

00:40

01:30

42

15,27

0,39

1150

Alter Hof

Sharp right Kastelruth (Castelrotto) 2a

S 2%

00:41

01:31

43

15,66

0,70

1156

Wayside cross, bench

Straight ahead

S -5%

00:42

01:33

44

16,36

1,22

1119

Junction to Castelrotto

Straight ahead St. Michael 2a

00:44

01:38

45

17,58

0,47

1136

Letter box

Right

R 2%

00:47

01:45

46

18,06

0,14

1141

Junction to Castelrotto 10

Straight ahead St. Michael 10

R -7%

00:49

01:48

47

18,20

0,06

1133

Junction

Bear right

R 5%

00:49

01:49

48

18,26

0,30

1136

To Schgagul / snack bar Sabine

Left uphill

R 11%

00:49

01:49

49

18,55

0,36

1165

Junction, bus stop

Right Tioslerweg, sports cabin

R 1%

00:50

01:51

50

18,92

0,35

1173

Maso Hof Unterdill in Tiosels

Straight ahead Seis (Siusi) 7

R -6%

00:51

01:53

51

19,27

0,29

1155

Turn-off to Seis (Siusi) 7

Bear right downhill

R -12%

00:52

01:55

52

19,57

0,78

1121

Turn-off to St. Michael (San Michele) 7

Bear right downhill

R -10%

00:53

01:57

53

20,35

0,20

1052

Konsum-Markt

Bear left

A 4%

00:55

02:02

54

20,55

0,06

1061

Sparkasse Kastelruth

Right centre

R -4%

00:56

02:03

55

20,60

0,07

1059

Hotel zum Wolf

Bear left

R 4%

00:56

02:03

56

20,68

0,00

1062

Tourism association Castelrotto

End of tour

R 0%

00:56

02:04

Explanation of evaluation factors
• Overall difficulty based on climb difficulty (60%) and descent difficulty (40%)
• Climb difficulty based on total distance uphill (30%), overall height variation uphill (30%), surface uphill (10%), average slope   uphill (25%), highest altitude reached (5%).
• Descent difficulty consists of total distance downhill (10%), overall height variation downhill (10%), surface downhill (50%),   average slope downhill (30%).
• Physical condition based on total distance (40%), with overall height variation (50%) and highest altitude reached (10%).
• Riding technique based on surface (50%), with average slope uphill (30%) and average slope downhill (20%).
• Writer’s subjective evaluation of panorama and riding fun.

Explanation of surface and slope
A = Tarmac road		steep uphill	from + 15%
R = Tarmac cycle path		uphill	up to + 14%
S = Gravel		level	ca. +/- 4%
W = Hiking trail		downhill	up to - 19%
P = Path, Single Trail		steep downhill	from - 20%
T = Carrying / pushing
X = Cable car / transfer

Route: the percentages indicate the average climb (+) or the average descent (-) to the next waymarker.