Forcella Tamer

The weather forecast called for rain starting at noon, so I decided to do a local ride with some climbs before the downfall began.  After Maniago, just before Fanna I turned left on the road up Monte San Lorenzo.  I recommend only climbing this on Sunday or holiday because on weekdays it has giant dump trucks loaded with rock quarried at Monte San Lorenzo headed for the cementificio of Fanna.  The road has some damage from heavy rains undermining the roadbed, causing a large slump.  It's a great little workout, 2.6km averaging 8%.

Steeply down the other side to Valcolvera, and just before Poffabro turn right down Val Muie.  Fun rolling road descending after Navarons to Fiume Meduna, then steeply up to the main road for Monte Rest.  Turn left, skirt the shore of Lago di Redona until you reach the right turn toward Campone, then climb gently up the gorge of Torrente Chiarzo.  This wonderful road eventually reaches a sharp dogleg right turn up the mountainside.  I dreaded climbing this because previously the steep pavement was mostly torn up, with wet, algae-covered slippery stones: hard to climb without standing, yet nearly impossible to get traction with an unweighted rear wheel.  Luckily after a couple hundred meters it was newly paved (I guess 1 or 2 years ago).  The surface was great and the gradient was climbable seated, in 34 X 27 gear.  The road is barricaded and marked closed because of a landslide, but they've cleared the rubble from the road and are now shoring up the adjacent slope: on a bike it's no problem.   From the start of this climb to Forcella Tamer you climb 5.5 km, averaging 9.6% gradient. 

At 900m there is a cattle gate, a short stretch of paved road, and then rocky MTB riding to 1000m where the parapendi launch at Monte Valinis.  I decided to turn around at the gate so I could beat the rain.  I descended the way I'd come all the way down to the Campone road at 432m.  

After passing through Campone I began the climb up to Piani di Clauzetto at 673m.  Descending to Pradis di Sotto at 537m I noticed an unusual number of hikers, runners.  Turned out they were having a marcia, similar to Volksmarch in Germany.  I threaded through the walkers and headed up the last climb of the day through Pradis di Sopra to Cristo at 717m.  After Clauzetto I switchbacked to Travesio, then to Toppo, across Fiume Meduna, through Fanna to Maniago and home.  The predicted rain was nowhere to be seen; in fact it was now sunny and warm.  Meno male, it motivated me to ride fast and I enjoyed the rolling ride.     

Monte Raut from Monte San Lorenzo;
I'll try to hike there from Panuch in September

The rehabilitated former quarry on Monte San Lorenzo's
northeast side; the south side is still being quarried.  Beautiful
west side is still natural, with Chiesa di San Lorenzo high
 above the cliffs along Bus di Colvera

Shoring up the landslide on Campone - Forcella
Tamer road.  Note the new pavement.