Join the Lee Cougan Crossfire Trail to explore one of the wildest corners of the Cottian Alps, including dirt climbs, singletrack, and spectacular views. The adventure is also documented in images taken with the DJI Osmo 360 and DJI Neo 2 drone.
Sometimes you're lucky enough to find, just a short distance from the city, little paradises you can reach without having to travel long distances by car. Places where just a few kilometers away you can leave behind the roads, traffic, and daily routine and find yourself immersed in almost unexpected mountain landscapes.
That's exactly what happens in Cottian Alps, inside the Orsiera Rocciavrè Natural Park, between the Sangone and Chisone Valleys, in the province of Turin. Our destination is the area above Forno di Coazze, perfect for a day of authentic mountain biking.
From the lakes of Avigliana towards the mountains
Reaching the starting point is simple. From the Avigliana lakes, formed at the end of the last glaciation, you climb towards Giaveno and continue towards Forno di Coazze, passing near the Sanctuary of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.
After passing the Pianas campsite, we soon reached the parking lot where we decided to unload the bikes and begin our adventure.
Of course, there's nothing stopping you from starting lower down and adding more kilometers and elevation gain at the exit. We chose to start at about 1.100 meters of altitude, where the most interesting dirt section begins. A particularly pleasant choice on summer days, when starting at altitude means significantly cooler temperatures.
Objective: Fontana Mura Refuge
Once we take the dirt road, our destination is the Fontana Mura Refuge, located approximately 1.726 meters of altitude.
From the starting point, it's just under 10 kilometers. On paper, it might seem short, but the steepness, rocks, and some rough sections, also marked by water and rain, make the climb anything but trivial.
The first stretch passes through the undergrowth on a very smooth dirt road. The gradient, however, is noticeable from the start, and with each kilometer, the surface changes: more and more rocks begin to appear, and the climb becomes more challenging.
Fortunately, as you climb higher in altitude, the air also becomes progressively cooler and helps to mitigate fatigue.
Lee Cougan Crossfire Trail, our adventure companion
Faithful companion of this day is the Lee Cougan Crossfire Trail, a full suspension with a carbon monocoque frame and 120 mm Fox suspension at the front and rear, with Kashima treatment.
A bike that interprets the concept well down-country/trail And it finds its ideal terrain precisely in high-mountain outings. Lightweight, smooth, and responsive, it allows you to efficiently tackle even long climbs with significant elevation gain, without sacrificing safety and fun when the trail changes direction and heads downhill.
La riding position and the behaviour of the carriage They help optimize pedaling during climbs, especially when the surface becomes uneven and you need to maintain traction without wasting energy. The feeling is that of a bike ready to relaunch and easy to handle, important features when the goal of the day is not only performance, but above all explore the territory and cover kilometers and altitude differences.
At the same time, modern geometry and 120 mm of travel offer the solidity and safety needed to tackle the typical challenges of a high-mountain ride: rocks, steps, narrow passages, loose surfaces, and technical singletrack. This combination creates a bike that's efficient on climbs, yet stable and forgiving enough when the terrain gets more challenging.
It is precisely this versatility that makes the Crossfire Trail interesting: fast and responsive when you push on the pedals, precise and safe when it comes time to let it run downhill.
The electronic gearbox SRAM Eagle AXS It completes the package well and, on a route characterised by continuous changes in pace and gradient, it allows for quick and precise gear changes, particularly useful when the terrain forces you to switch from a high gear to a decidedly more agile one in just a few metres.
When the panorama opens up
As you continue climbing, the forest slowly gives way to a completely different panorama.
It's almost as if a curtain were opening before us: suddenly the great mountains of the Cottian Alps appear and we realize how quickly we've moved away from the plain.
Among the landmarks of the area there is the Roussa Hill, a pass at over 2.000 metres that connects the Sangone Valley with the Chisone Valley.
The feeling is the one we seek every time we get on a mountain bike: in a relatively short time the city seems far away and all that remains around are mountains, silence and nature.
At the Fontana Mura Refuge
We finally reach the Fontana Mura Refuge, run by Claudia and Fabrizio.
After the climb, a more than deserved and succulent meal awaits us. concia polentaHere we also meet our friend Igor, a great mountain bike enthusiast and expert on these places.
We take a break and look around. We're immersed in a magnificent, wild environment, and it's almost incredible to think how easy it was to get up here.
But the funniest part of the day is yet to begin.
For the descent we choose the single track
If we chose the wider and smoother dirt road to reach the refuge, to return to the valley we completely change our philosophy: single track!
The trail was probably designed more for hikers looking for a direct route than for mountain bikers, but it's precisely this kind of guided and technical terrain that we enjoy.
And this is where the Crossfire Trail can show another side of its character.
The descent alternates between fast sections and decidedly more technical ones. In some places, protruding rocks leave very little room for trajectory, requiring careful line selection.
We also reach a section affected by a rockfall, where we decide to dismount and carry the bike for a few meters. No problem: the Crossfire's light weight makes even this short passage easy.
A few minutes later we are back in the saddle.
Once you've found the wide dirt road again, you can finally let your bike ride. Full throttle down: how beautiful!
The adventure seen through the DJI Osmo 360 and Neo 2
A journey like this deserved to be told through images too.
For this outing we used DJI Osmo 360 and the compact DJI Neo 2 drone, a combination that allows you to alternate immersive shots from the bike with the spectacular aerial perspectives offered by the drone.
Neo 2 is particularly useful during a mountain bike ride thanks to its ability to recognize and track the subject. When following, you can adjust the altitude and position relative to the biker you're following, thus adapting the shot to the type of trail.
The front display and voice guidance also help you quickly check the selected mode.
Everything remains extremely compact: weighing just 151 grams, Neo 2 easily fits into your backpack and while pedaling you almost forget you have it with you.
Then you look at the resulting images and the perspective changes completely.
A little paradise behind the house
This outing in the Orsiera Rocciavrè Natural Park reminds us once again that you don't always have to travel far to experience a true mountain bike adventure.
A challenging climb, spectacular Alpine views, a refuge where you can recharge your batteries, and a technical descent that's fun: simple ingredients, but hard to beat.
All that's left to do is load up the bike again and set off in search of the next adventure.
Because the important thing is never stop.
Happy cycling!
Fabrizio Gillon
Used bikes and accessories
Bike: Lee Cougan Crossfire Trail
Action cam: DJI Osmo 360
Drone: DJI Neo 2
Power banks: XTORM
Clothing: PROGRIP
