Located in central Italy between Umbria to the West and the Adriatic Sea to the East, the hilly Italian region of Marche provides all the assets needed to seduce cycling and nature lovers alike. Going off the beaten tracks and discovering this region rich in history and traditions by gravel or mountain bike is the main goal of Basecamp523. The start-up, which was selected by the Bocconi University in Milan for an accelerator program, offers customizable cycling trips for bike riders of all levels. Marche is the ideal destination for riders who can’t decide between sea, mountains and countryside.
A hidden gem or a sleeping beauty, Marche is an unknown paradise of sea, history and mountains, that is perfectly accessible with the bike. The Gola della Rossa e Frasassi natural park at its center is the perfect starting point for long mountain bike rides. Welcome to the wild green heart of Marche, Basecamp523. The young company, born in 2021 and located in Fabriano, half an hour drive from Ancona, offers a wide range of bike tours to discover the Italian region.
I lived in Berlin for several years and I was rediscovering my region with the eyes of a tourist. The desire to return to the simple values of life led me to settle in Fabriano and found Basecamp523.
Marco Trivelli, founder of Basecamp523
The name of the company is a playful reference to the extreme alpinists’ high altitude base camps combined with the exact altitude of the family home of the founders Marco and Silvia in Fabriano.
The offered rides are on average 40 kilometers per day and are suited for all levels. They are rated according to three main criteria: adrenaline, adventure and immersion into nature. One of these main excursions is the visit to the ghost town San Cristoforo, that feels like a spaghetti western set. With 980 m of positive vertical drop in one day, it has two versions: Adrenalina (for experienced riders) and Avventura for all levels.
But for those who like long rides on an e-bike or a gravel bike, the road from Fabriano to Ancona is worth the trip. The ride is 150k long and has stops in Genga, Montecarotto, San Marcello and Offagna. Passing through several natural parks with a MTB guide, and arriving at the Adriatic Sea, the variety of landscapes is unique on the old continent.
In fact, each of our routes can be personalized with excursions and post-bike activities, such as spelunking/caving, yoga, pilates, trekking, rock climbing, canyoing, slacklining and of course swimming,
Marco Trivelli, founder of Basecamp523
Especially on the one-week tour, each stage gives the opportunity to meet a local craftsmen like beekeepers, winemakers or paper makers. Morevover, every partipant is a protagonist and can learn how to extract royal jelly or make a sheet of paper.
For experienced riders, Basecamp523 has just added a special three days trip “Il grande anello dei Sibillini ” within the national park “dei Monti Sibillini”. It is a trip of about 120k and over 4.000 meters of elevation gain that explore the beauty of the national park of Monti Sibillini. This area was heavly affected by the earthquacke in 2016 and travelling in these places gives a special impression. You ride on remote mountains up to 2500m above the sealevel.
Much more than just cycling, the tour operator offers a unique experience of the region. In this way Basecamp523 organizes also “ecocamps” for cyclists with tents suspended in the trees in the natural park of the Gola della rossa e frasassi a park with many species of plants and animals. A unique experience to rediscover the majesty of the nature. Nomad and ecological define the journey, that you will live in the Marche. Marco and his team organize a camp in the complete wilderness where they take with them all the services from a compostable toilette to the shower and once you leave, no human traces will be left.
All this happens as we move in a sustainable way. So the journey has a positive impact on the riders, inspired by the experiences, to the local community, which has an economical and social opportunity, and to our planet as it promotes activities that share all these values.
Marco Trivelli, founder of Basecamp523
The philosophy of Basecamp523 is to organize the rides in small groups starting with 4 people and with a maximum of 15. The bikes (Bianchi e-mtb and Gravel Cinelli) can be rented on site. In Fabriano as well as in the so called “Ecocamp” (in the natural park), all the equipment and tools are available to repair your own bike and recharge the batteries of your e-mtb. Fabriano is also ideally located to extend your vacation in a cultural or a relaxed way. It’s only 2 and half hours drive from Firenze and less than one hour to the Adriatic. Fabriano is also easy to access by public transport, the Ancona airport is only 30 minutes drive away and direct trains bring you to Rome.
More current news, dates and information about the routes organized by Basecamp523 can be found here.