Thus began the three days of Pila, with a message from Giulia of Moon agency, in which I was asked if I was available to participate in a press trip in the Aosta Valley.
Marco Tagliaferri, a guest of Moon Agency, finds himself in Pila to have a 3 days of pure fun and adventure in the Aostano area.
An opportunity to return to one of the symbolic places of MTB gravity, to check for you the state of the art of the bike park and at the same time try the Commencal da DH Pila needs no introduction, it has been years since it has decided to invest in tourism summer and especially in the two-wheeled one. Thanks above all to the energy and competence of the late Corrado Herin, the locality has been able to develop tracks capable of satisfying the needs of international pro riders and at the same time of many Sunday enthusiasts. An alchemy difficult to achieve but which has found the right balance here.

They have also been able to modify the trails over time, managing to adapt them to the needs of this constantly evolving environment. From the first dh track, where I raced 15 years ago, many things have changed in the world of fat wheels, here in Pila they have been able to adapt to changes by introducing more complex lines, definitely more stimulating for the most demanding riders; at the same time managing to propose routes aimed at a less specialized public. In this sense, the latest arrival, the flow trail, has managed to fill a void that was left in the offer of the mountain resort, proposing a route conceived and designed for families and novice mini bikers.

It was this snake full of banks and humps that was the real surprise of this weekend; in fact, if I already knew the structure of the bike park and the goodness of the project that revolves around the Word Cup, the new blue track surprised for its ability to satisfy the different souls of the off-road world, I have often met families, riders novice and athletes in training; each one intent on facing the banks and the jumps with different purposes and interpretations, but all unanimously convinced of the goodness of the project. Those who used it to learn the dynamics of driving a mountain bike, those to accompany their children to discover this wonderful place and those with the aim of being able to close it without touching the brakes.
But the three days was not just an opportunity to ride like a crazy hamster on the trails; there was the opportunity to exchange some impressions with the president of the company and to understand how what I have seen is only the beginning of a broader and more articulated idea. I was pleased to find a dynamic reality, which has not sat on its laurels, but which constantly seeks to expand its offer, always availing itself of the help of professionalism in the sector.


As I said initially, it all started with Herin, but now it is Vernassa, a highly experienced personality, who has picked up the baton and carries on the initial idea. This fact can be seen above all in the details, first of all the design and construction of the bike park. As already mentioned initially, on these trails athletes and enthusiasts can live with a less extensive technical background, thanks above all to routes that, depending on the speed with which they are tackled, can present various difficulties; there are, for example, doubles that allow jumps of several meters, but which can be easily copied, banks with advances for a select few and very bumpy sections where the different trajectories allow everyone to 'take it home'. It is clear that there are some passages of the word cup that are for a few, but even in those cases the alternative lines give the possibility to get by with some worries but nothing more.




In conclusion, I can confidently affirm that I have found a constantly evolving reality in Pila, which in the next few years will be able to offer new surprises, such as the new facility that will make the Desarpa trail more easily accessible, a historic maxiavalche that, starting from its 2700 meters, leads the best trained directly in Aosta.
I will follow this evolution carefully, in order to be able to promptly inform you of any news, 'sacrificing' myself for you every time a new track is presented.
