The first days of the year are always a suspended territory.
On the one hand, there's the need to rewind the thread of the past months, take stock, understand what happened.
On the other hand, almost without realizing it, we already begin to develop the track that will become the red thread of the new year.
2026, for me, begins like this: with an exploration.
Thanks to the possibility of testing the new HaiBike AllMtn CF 11, I took the opportunity to inaugurate the season of going “a little further”, following new tracks, without knowing exactly where they would lead me.
That's the beauty of it.
In this sense, electric has a double value for me:
It allows me to tackle climbs that would be out of reach with a muscle bike, and above all free your curiosityKnowing that, in a critical situation, the engine can help me get back, allows me to dare more, to listen to my instincts without the brakes of fear.
The cold these days is the real thing, the kind that reminds you what it means to ride in the mountains in winter.
The sharp air that hits your face like thin needles.
The frozen ground.
The patches of snow in the north-facing areas, where the sun can't even peek through.
And then silence.
Nature sleeps, wrapped in a quiet hibernation, as do many of its animals. At this time of year, few people venture into the mid-mountain areas off the beaten track: the cold, the limited hours of daylight, and the uncertainty of the outcome advise caution.
I'll leave the real adventures, the long, structured ones, to some more organized outings in the coming days.
Today I chose an “intelligent” exploration.
I followed some tracks that seemed to have been created for a completely different purpose: probably paths used by lumberjacks to transport firewood, which skirt the Alpe Camasca area, on the most rugged and cold side, the one facing the Strona Valley.
In the next few days I will complete the tour and tell you in more detail if – and how – it will be possible to build a new epic ride on the western shore of Lake Orta.
Which, according to those who have made spirituality a lifestyle choice, releases good vibrations.
The same vibes that, ride after ride, we bikers seek out without even realizing it.
For now I'll stop here, with my hands numb from the cold and my head full of ideas.
The outline is not yet complete, but the picture is beginning to become clear.
In the next few days I will return to these mountains to close the circle and understand if something more can be born from these explorations: a real itinerary, an adventure to share, a new way to read and experience this side of Lake Orta.
Because, sometimes, the most beautiful tours don't start from a map,
but from the courage to take a nameless path.
