Monday, May 31, 2010

Monte Valinis da Campone

Another mountain goat climb- the first 2.5 km averages 10%, with bits of 16%. To complicate matters, the road has much loose stone, fallen branches, and had rained the day before, so loss of traction was continuous. Great training because the feedback is instantaneous- you either correct your position or you fall.

I climbed most of this standing- it seems easier as long as I remember to pull back on the bars parallel to the slope. It really didn't seem too bad. At 660 meters you join the road coming up from Meduno (see Monte Valinis ). This road is a steady 9-10%, and climbs up through the forest to 900 meters. Then there is a cattle gate so you must dismount. Shortly after, the road turns to rough gravel and stone so you wobble along trying to avoid the bigger rocks and trying to maintain traction. Soon you are in a hilltop pasture with cows, and further still the stoney road ends at 990 meters. There is a wooden ramp here where paragliders leap off into the abyss. But not today- the windsocks were all horizontal, with gusts at the summit so strong I had to get low on the ground to avoid being blown away.

I decided not to don my windjacket up here for fear it would get blown to Treviso while trying to put an arm through a sleeve. So I wobbled down the gravel road to the cattle gate, and put it on there. I went pretty slowly downhill, except for the occasional stretch with a long view ahead. At Meduno I joined the main road and headed home. The wind was quite strong so the usually easy ride was a struggle.


Elevation of the climb


Map of the climb


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