Valcamonica holds one of the largest collections of prehistoric rock carvings in the world, some three hundred thousand figures pecked into the smooth glacier-polished rocks of the valley over thousands of years, from hunters and deer to warriors, ploughs, houses and mysterious symbols. It was the first Italian site to be listed by UNESCO, in 1979. In the upper valley, near Sonico, a few kilometres south of Edolo, a multi-themed park around the rocks of Còren de le Fate, the fairies' rock, offers carvings, nature trails and an insight into the life of the valley.
The valley of the Oglio river cuts deep into the Alps of Lombardy, between the Adamello massif with its glaciers to the east and the Orobie Alps to the west. Edolo is the main town of the upper valley, at a crossroads of mountain routes, with roads leading north to the Tonale pass and Trentino, and west to the Aprica pass and Valtellina. Sonico is a small village with stone houses, and the slopes around are covered with chestnut woods, larches and pastures, with waterfalls tumbling down from the heights.
For riders, this is a dream location. From Edolo, the Passo del Tonale, at over eighteen hundred metres, is a fast and scenic climb, while the Passo dell'Aprica leads into the Valtellina. A little further north, the Mortirolo, one of the hardest climbs in cycling, offers a narrow, steep and twisty road with countless hairpins, and the Gavia pass, over two thousand six hundred metres, is a legendary high road, narrow and spectacular, usually open only in summer. Watch for cyclists, livestock and sudden weather changes. The high passes close in winter.
Edolo, three kilometres away, can handle fuel, meals and lodging. Food in Valcamonica is mountain fare: casoncelli, stuffed pasta with butter and sage, polenta, cheeses such as Silter, and cured meats. The wines of Valtellina, made from Nebbiolo grown on steep terraces, are close by. Visit the rock carvings in the morning, when the low light brings out the figures, and then ride up to a pass in the afternoon; you will be following, in a way, the paths of the people who carved these rocks.