Enough goes to BAM! Campfire

When BAM! asks you to come up with the route to arrive at BAM! the Enough way there is only one good answer. And NO will not be part of it.

But let’s proceed with some order, because the proposal of Andrea (Benesso, the mastermind that under a bald head came up with BAM!)  included a piece about the route on bikepacking.com.

Let’s talk about the final result. Later we will take a step back and we will see how we got there. Actually, let’s talk about the final results – the routes. Because along with the main route in the Komoot collection you can find two more alternatives. The first one, gravel, smoth and democratic. The second one, road, following the Sega di Ala climb, just like the Giro d’Italia does, if you wanna feel Bernal through a mistic crysis for a second.  

The main one is a badass route we will summarise as follow: it’s very cool, very tough, very punk, very various, very gravel, little gravel, very cimbra, it’s very amaroni, very Valpolicelli, it’s very tequila salt and lemon, it’s very backcomb, it’s very cool – have we already said that?

Let’s get serious for a second: it is a 140 km track to arrive at the Lausen refuge after 80 km and 3000 D+ through hills, vineyards, gravel highways and grazing lands. If you wanna take it to arrive at BAM! we suggest leaving early from Verona and not making too many stops. Because after 5 pm up there the show will go on – trust us, we are planning ahead – and it will be worth your presence. At least 700×40 for the tires and 1:1 the gearing ratio.

But let’s talk about the experience. When Andrea sent us on a mission we immediately brought in the equation our friends from negot.cc. Why? Because it was quite a bit we hadn’t pedaled together and because those guys know those territories like their pockets. Also because cool things must be done with cool people and you can’t find anyone cooler than Stefano Zotti.

You trace your route on Komoot but then, when you have to share it for someone to use them, better try your product out first. So meet up in Verona. Starting point in Verona cause of the publishing on an american magazine and so let’s work on some clichè to work on that oh-my-god-I-need-to-go-there-its-so-amazing feeling. So nothing is better that Romio and Juliet, Amaroni, Valpolicelli and so on. (Hey brothers from the other side of the ocean, we are joking – wev love you and here things are cool for real).

Right from the jump we understood that a long day was awaiting us. Still on this side of the Adige river the cling film in Zotti’s camera takes – for the first of many times – a RNA filament’s shape. Re-wrap, curse, restart, it doesn’t work, repeat, restart… 

The morning is fast gone under the notes of Fede’s tequila salt and lemon playlist – if you close your eyes you think you are in Caracas. On the other hand the lunch is a throwback to the ‘80s. For the architecture, the mood and the debatable sound while eating our gnocchi di malga. Nevertheless we make it out this situation and the afternoon evolves in a more uptight beats.

The damned snow threw away our happy hour plans and we were forced to walk our bikes for a good hour. Later, Niccolò’ s tires will do the rest and we are behind schedule for the dinner too. We are now in the dark cursing at tire sealant, innertubes and cheap tires made by some French seller who, until yesterday, used to produce some crappy packaging for some perfumes fashion brands.

But Finally the Lausen is on sight. Denny is there closing shop – rightfully, since it’s already 10 pm. Nevertheless he received us with love and care. He put in our hands a huge pack of pasta, a pot with some sauce and the keys to the fridge for the beers. He told us to feel at home. We slept on the tables and woke up the day after. 

We woke up just on time to let Danny replace our bodies with some breakfast on the dining tables and to try and fix Niccolò’s tire. After CT scan and x-ray we found the spur and we proceeded with surgery. Two days of prognosis. Fore Niccolò – if he will show up again with those tires. 

We say goodbye to Danny, remembering that “small is handsome” (it’s his slogan). And because small is handsome we descend towards the valley. We kept the mood up by stopping at some cheese and deli farmers. We had breakfast less than an hour before but holy shit! Sandwitches, cheese, yogurt and let’s go. Do not let Fede choose yogurts based on colours. Do not let him pick colours in general.

Then it’s a wrap – hills, Amaroni, Valpolicelli, castles, beautiful things and we are in Verona again. According to us you should come to BAM! just like this, cause it’s cooler, but free to do whatever you feel like. The only important thing is that you’ll get there!

The Itinerary is actually out on bikepacking.com if you want some more info on the route. It’s here!

Thanks to negot.cc for the awesome weekend and to Andrea for arranging this. See you at BAM!