From Cutigliano to Abetone, immersed in a silence that wants you to listen to it

Using the cableway Cutigliano-Doganaccia, in eight minutes we will be at our starting point, gaining about 800 meters in elevation, arriving at an altitude of 1545 meters. At the start we can find a small-sized help station at the bike rental where we can check our tire pressure.

With our bottles filled up on water, we can begin to descend using part of the trail of the Abetone Gravity Park, in the direction of Melo. Here, before the village, we begin a tarmac climb to warm up a bit. This climb takes us straight into the heart of the most important dairy farms in the Montagna Pistoiese, the Roncacce and the Taufi, which deserve a stop, as it is possible to visit their production line.

From here we take the road again at the slopes of mount Libro Aperto toward the municipal road Melo-Rivoreta which will take us to the start of the climb toward Abetone. In the small village of Rivoreta we find on the road a fountain that will allow us to face the climb with full canteens.

The climb is easy to ride, but with gradient peaks even in the double digits, and it is important to tackle the 2,5 kilometers of dirt road at a slow pace, according to one's ability.

Once the dirt road is over, the climb continues on tarmac crossing Bicchiere and Secchia. Here, at Lake Verde, we can find food and water supplies and also recharge the batteries of our e-bikes at the family-run mountain shelter.

Our tour on the slopes of the Libro Aperto (Open Book) continues and, through a forested dirt section of about one kilometer, we arrive at the beginning of the CAI (Club Alpino Italiano – Italian Alpine Club) trails placed at the Casetta di Lapo (Lapo’s small house).

The first part of the dirt climb is very easy to ride, while we need to pay attention to the second part, as the bottom changes from a steep plate-shaped road to a very technical bumpy path.  

We can get around this part by following the Boscolungo signs that take us onto State Road 12 and then follow it to the square in Abetone and from there take the loop Maiori-Verginetta to go back to Casetta di Lapo. 

From Casetta di Lapo we go down toward Abetone through the beautiful and easy forest road and from the square we take the Regina Margherita road, just a few steps from the Abetone town hall. Here the easy dirt road ends alongside the small basin Lake Baccioli and joins provincial road PR 20.

We descend and once we arrive at the departure of the old ski lifts of Pian di Novello, we take the forest road of the Biogenetic Reserve. We get into the woods of tall beech trees for about 8 kilometers: the bottom is particularly easy and allows us to breathe in tranquility immersed in a silence that wants us to listen to it.

Here, shortly after the Balzo del Cinghiale (Boar's Bulge), we turn left and carefully begin to descend toward Cutigliano. At some times the bottom can be rough, so it is important to adjust our speed. Keeping to the left and passing by the red-and-white bar of the Unione dei Comuni Montani (Union of Mountain Municipalities), we continue to descend toward Provincial Road 20. After finishing the first part of the dirt road, once we arrive on tarmac, we can decide whether to continue following the track with the last downhill stretch on tarmac or descend on tarmac toward Cutigliano through Provincial Road 20 following the road signs.

The trail takes us to the dirt road located above the La Piastra farm, an easy although steep descent in its first part, which then becomes a bit bumpy in its second part, but keeping our speed under control according to ability, is the last funny part of the day. 

The dirt road ends in the hamlet of houses of the Castellina: moderating our speed so as not to disturb the residents, we go for the Cutigliano bridge to go back, after a stop in the town square, at the cableway terminal. 

Itinerary by Leonardo Corsini