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/Faces

Happy Trail MTB
Happy Trail MTB

Giuseppe Salerno

About Myself

Giuseppe Salerno

I am the Director of the Happy Trail Mountain Bike School and a Nationally Certified Mountain Bike Instructor.
My deranged interest for endurance sports has taken me from triathlons, to marathons, to the Italian road bike 'Gran Fondo'. However, whether in the high mountains or on the hill next door to my house, alone or accompanying a group, my real passion lies in mountain biking.
As the captain of the Happy Trail MTB Tandem team (together with Milena Bettocchi), I led us to the prestigious 'Finisher' title at the Transrockies Race in 2009.
I was also one of the first Italians to participate and finish the Cape Epic in 2006, the MTB Challenge in 2007 (through Poland and the Czech Republic), and the Trans-Schwarzwald - within the Black Forest in Germany. My experiences with these stage races sparked the inspiration for our Epic Adventures, found only here with Happy Trails.
I've been leading bicycle tours since 2000 and I enjoy the mechanical as well as the technical aspect of this wonderful sport. And when I'm not biking, I'm either carbo-loading with pizza (my favorite food), or reading travel journals (my favorite books).
For me, the bicycle is freedom: it is the first means of transportation that allows a child to discover the immensity of the world. Thanks to a simple mechanical function, this discovery can be at everyone's fingertips.

Giuseppe Salerno @ linkedin

Happy Trail MTB
Happy Trail MTB

Alessandro Allegro

About Myself

Alessandro Allegro

I was born between the grape vines of Piedmont and the Ligurian coast, in a small village in Italy called Arquata Scrivia. I spend most of the year between Italy and Spain and I've always been an active cyclist. Years ago when the high-tech equipment of today didn't exist, I confronted every mountain bike adventure with strength and luck until the technology became more advanced.
Since 1999, I've been an active Bicycle Guide, leading groups through France, Ireland, Spain, Morocco, Croatia and all over the Italian peninsula. I began mountain biking semi-professionally in 2007 when I finished the MTB Challenge: a seven-stage race within Poland and the Czech Republic. I have also completed the Flanders competition (Belgium) and an amateur World Cycling Championship.
I am a trip designer for Happy Trail MTB and I organize the logistics of many adventures.

Happy Trail MTB
Happy Trail MTB

Gianfranco Sappa

About Myself

Gianfranco Sappa

I have been a high-mountain Alpine Guide since 1985, and I have dedicated my life to enriching my profession to the fullest through all mountain activities (for example rock climbing, mountain excursions, hiking, canyoning, off-piste and backcountry skiing, among others). I have acquired an excellent knowledge of the mountains in the Aosta Valley (Northwest Italy), as well as Monte Bianco, the Maritimes Alps, Liguria and Sardegna. As my mountain biking skills improved I became a certified instructor. I'm an active member of the Aosta Valley Association of Mountain Bike Instructors, as well as the Alpine Guides of Courmayeur, Italy. I have an extensive knowledge of the Aosta Valley and I proudly organize and lead the tours around Monte Bianco and Grand Combin.

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Happy Trail MTB
Happy Trail MTB

Milena Bettocchi

About Myself

Milena Bettocchi

Even since I was a school girl, I've always been active in sports, playing volleyball and running at a young age. In 1998 I started sprint and olympic distance triathlons and in 2007, I began long distance triathlons.
My first marathon was in 2004 in Carpi (Italy), and I completed one every year, including marathons in Rome, New York, and Paris (the most beautiful of all, in my opinion).
In 2009, Beppe Salerno and I finished the TransRockies Challenge (Canada) on a tandem Mountain bike: 7 days, 7 stages, 340 miles at altitude, with 45,000 ft of elevation gain. We returned alive, thrilled, and we are still happily married!
During the winter I practice Nordic and Alpine Skiing, as well as swim, run, and - of course - mountain bike.
Sports have always been my passion, but not for the competition. The physical effort is invigorating, as is the satisfaction of a sleepy body recuperating after the activity. Take all of this and do it in quiet mountain trails, and it becomes even more beautiful.
My non-biking activities include backpacking excursions to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, Ecuador, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania and a few others.
When not outside, I'm inside eating and drinking to my tummy's delight!

Happy Trail MTB
Happy Trail MTB

Marco Bettocchi

About Myself

Marco Bettocchi

I'm 34 years-old and I live with my family in a small town among the Apennine forests on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It's called Pavana and I wouldn't change it for any other in the world.
I have been an enthusiastic athlete ever since I was a child. I skied, swam, and I even had a minor soccer carrier until the day I discovered cross-country running. In 2005 - the year I completed my first marathon - I became actively involved in endurance sports, especially triathlons, finishing proudly on the podium (1st place S3 Half-Ironman Isola d'Elba; 3rd place S3 regional champion at the Lago del Brasimone Olympic Triathlon).
As a result of my 'influential' connections to the off-road world, I fell in love with mountain biking and I became a Nationally Certified Instructor in 2010.
I believe sports are a means to understand oneself, to connect with good friends, and a medium to share triumphant moments and learn from defeats. My acute senses can only tolerate fresh air, delicious food and flavorful full-bodied wines, so luckily I have chosen the life-path that makes my body happy!

/About Us

Association and Standing:

Happy Trail MTB is a amateur sport association dedicated to organizing cyclists who share a similar passion for mountain bikes, for a life dedicated to the outdoors and for travel by bicycle. Bicycle riding is freedom in motion: everyone who has ever ridden a bicycle as a child can still remember the sensation of exploring the world while pedaling just behind your house. Still today, in older years, the bicycle connects us to our first steps of freedom in the natural world.

At Happy Trail MTB, we aim to incorporate these elements into one complete picture: nature in its purest form, breathtaking unimaginable itineraries, the raw beauty of the vistas and wonderful company of the people traveling together. We envision Happy Trail MTB as a vehicle to simple pleasures: the pure satisfaction of having completed a task, for no other reason than to get to the top of the mountain and enjoy the personal rewards.

This goal of ours can only be achieved through incorporating active and cultural activities along every departure. Each itinerary has a rich composition of beautiful rides and strong sensations, coupled to our practical bike mechanic expertise and association with the National Italian Cycling Association (F.C.I.). Happy Trail MTB is also an IMBA club member, supporter and is currently active in spreading IMBA throughout Italy.

As we began to put this project together, we asked ourselves what mountain bikers are looking to achieve. We thus structured various trips in order to accommodate different levels of cyclists. We focus on families interested in spending a few quality moments together in the calm of the countryside, as well as the most hardened riders on their quest for the ultimate Alpine rush. Our values are:

  • To maintain an active life in the outdoors
  • To seek out - and balance - one's physical, psychological and ethical well-being through the synergy between sport and nature
  • To focus on the environment and actively engage local communities
  • To discover - again - the beauty of our own backyards
  • To travel as a means to share emotional experiences with one's companions
  • To respect and solidarity for and with one's travel companions
Membership to the Association is subject to the approval by the Governing Council and requires an annual membership fee. This fee is kept modest and is determined each year by the number of activities Happy Trail MTB offers in any given season. Should you join us for a mountain bike tour the annual membership fee is included in the departure price. To know more about the membership do not hesitate to contact us by completing the following form

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