Val Silisia MTB

I thought about trying the ride from Claut via Forcella Clautana to Val Silisia today but the forecast called for afternoon rain and I wasn't sure I had enough time.  So I decided to try riding up Val Silisia as far as I could to preview the route.   

Through Valcolvera, then down Val Muie, up to the road for Lago Redona and then I turned left toward Lago Ca' Selva.  After crossing the dam at Selva I headed up the dirt, then paved, road to Panuch.  I continued down to lake side, where a dirt road (with some concrete and paved sections) climbs and drops repeatedly along the lakeshore, finally reaching the white water of Torrente Silisia.  

After crossing a bridge you join the Strada degli Alpini trail, which switchbacks all the way up to Forcella Clautana at 1432 meters.  I tried going up a little way but was so tired my momentum was insufficient to clear a protruding rock on the trail.  I fell and the bike and I tumbled 2 or 3 meters down the steep embankment before being saved by some saplings.  A little further along the trail looked rideable again so I went maybe 100 meters before I was toast.  At this point (700 meters) it was clear I wasn't going to complete the remaining 730-meter elevation gain, so I took some fotos and headed down.   

The ride back was the same saliscendi along the lake, then the climb up the west side of Panuch.  I made it up the climb-out from the dam but my legs were rubber.  The rest of the ride I crept along slowly till I eventually made it home.  Later this summer I'll try the full route from Claut. 

Lago Redona dead calm

Close up of mountain reflection

Trees along Lago Redona

Near the top of Lago Ca' Selva; there are many submerged
stone houses from the years before the dam was built

The point where torrente becomes lago

Cascades of Torrente Silisia from ponte 

Lago Ca'Selva with mountains to east

Shady stretch of white water

Strada degli Alpini climbing steeply upward

Monte San Lorenzo - Panuch

Clear, cold Pasquetta morning, with Bora winds from Trieste due in the afternoon.  I started by riding toward Fanna, then turning left on Via Vals, the road over Monte San Lorenzo.  At the high spot on the road, 470 meters, I stopped for a foto of Monte Raut then headed down the other side, steeply descending to the road coming up from Maniago along Torrente Colvera.  I skipped the turn for Frisanco, instead taking the next right for Navarons.  This rolling road along Torrente Muie is a joy to ride.  After Navarons it dips down to cross Torrente Meduna then climbs to meet the road toward Monte Rest.

At the Lago Redona dam turn left and recross the river.  Continue to Chievolis, crossing Torrente Silesia and continue up the climb to Lago Ca' Selva.  The dam water level was quite low compared to last year.  Maybe some Spring rain will make up the difference.  Cross the dam and continue on the gravel road (rideable with 23mm slicks).  Soon it becomes paved again and heads steeply upward.  Quite a tough climb: 1.2 km of 12.6% median and 17.5% max.  The high point is Panuch at 615 meters with a paved road heading down to the Strada degli Alpini trailhead.  At Panuch is the trailhead for Casera Valinis and Monte Raut.  I will try hiking this later in summer to see if I can summit on this route (from Pala Barzana I only reached Forcella Capra).

Ride home was fast though the Bora was already picking up speed.

Monte Raut from Monte San Lorenzo pass 

The higher bridge across Torrente Silisias.
Quite spindly looking from this angle.

Trail from Panuch toward Monte Raut

Top end of the lake where trail for Strada degli Alpini starts

The sluices on the left are dry, creek is low

Tough climb from dam to Panuch

Pala Barzana - Panuch

Decided to check Pala Barzana to see if the pass is open yet.  After the long tunnel I turned right and headed up through Bosplans.   At 690 meters the road was barricaded due to a landslip (frane) so I hopped off and hoofed it for 50 meters carrying the bike along the edge.  The rest of the road and pass is open.  I descended even slower than usual after hearing Joe William's harrowing experience with a rear blow-out above Poffabro last year.  He used his excellent bike handling skills to save his gorgeous new ti Passoni as well as himself, so a happy ending.  I would have probably flipped over a guardrail and down a ravine.

I skipped Poffabro and descended through Valdifrini then continued down Val Muie to Navarons.   At Lago di Tramonti I turned left and skirted the lakeshore to Chievolis.  Here starts the climb up Val Silisia to Lago Ca' Selva.  Crossed the dam and after a brief dirt stretch climbed the steep paved road to Panuch (639m).  Fun ride home.  

Frane at 690 meters above Bosplans

View north from Pala Barzana

Monte Rodolino from 530 meters above Lago Ca' Selva

Panuch trail head- I'll try to hike to Monte Raut this summer

Mountains to west above Lago Ca' Selva

Panuch

Tried to get in a quick ride before the rain.  Very bad storm yesterday afternoon- hail damaged my neighbor Tony's son's car on their way up here from Venezia.  Also took out our internet service until 1400 today. 

I left early with wind jacket- it's 50℉ in late May in Italy.  After Meduno headed across Lago di Tramonti dam and then up Val Silisias to Lago Ca' Selva.  Both lakes are very full with sluices wide open to let the water out.  I don't remember seeing that before.  After crossing Ca' Selva dam I headed up a short gravel stretch and then the main attraction- the 1 km paved road averaging 14% up to Panuch (645 meters).  The road is shady, damp, slippery with wet leaves, with drainage grates wider than my tires.  In other words, great fun!  I made it up to the little bridge at 600 meters before stopping to rest my head on the handlebars and pant for 5 minutes.  Refreshed, I assaulted the remaining climb, stopping at the highpoint, Panuch, to do some more hyperventilating.  You can continue down to near lake level where the road turns to gravel, but I was whooped today.

Sped home and beat most of the rain except for some drizzle at Montereale.  Good medium ride. 

Open sluices at Ca' Selva dam on Torrente Silisias

Roaring water interrupting the silence of Val Silisias

Looking north across full-to-the-brim Lago Ca' Selva

Panuch

Another cold clear day- headed to Meduno, then Lago di Tramonti, then crossed the dam, pedaled to Chievolis and began the climb.  This road is very cool- lots of hard steep ascents with steep descents in between.  On a near-freezing day like this you end up alternately roasting and freezing.  On the descent down to Lago Ca' Selva I nailed a pothole with my rear tire and thought "That's going to go flat."  But I kept going, across the dam, over the stretch of dirt road, and started the paved killer climb to Panuch.  Then the tire finally went flat so I pulled over to change it.  Quite nippy standing in the shade of the mountain around 0℃ while I changed the tire.  I resumed the very steep ascent, made more fun by a thick layer of slippery beech tree leaves, and periodic drainage grates with 30mm wide slots (must cross at nearly a right angle).  Eventually I made it to the top, gasping the frigid air due to stretches of 20% gradient.  My view of the lake was blocked by beech tree limbs (even when devoid of leaves) so I didn't get a lovely photo of the lake with sun shining on the dam.  After a very slow, careful descent I continued with the fun ride home.

Note:  I think I will make the Merckx into an indoor trainer bike for the winter, and also use it for local flatter rides in summer.  The temporary derailleur hanger is a bit fiddly when changing the rear tire, and I seem to get many more flats in the mountains.    

Lago Ca' Selva - Panuch - Val Bassa

Sometimes you return to a familiar climb and you discover the place all over again.  Today my routine local ride  to Lago Ca' Selva was like that.  As Jack puts it "Eppure esistono salite belle ed impegnative anche vicino a casa, e può capitare che passino anche un paio di anni prima di salire sulla vetta di certe montagne; ed ogni volta che ci si torna si scopre il gusto dell'esplorazione, dell'impresa, della scoperta e la fatica pare sempre più di quella reale. La bicicletta non dovrebbe trasformarsi in routine, per non perdere il gusto della prima volta."  http://jackciclista.blogspot.it/2012/05/come-la-prima-volta.html

It began normally enough- I warmed up through Maniago then through Bus di Colvera toward Poffabro and down Val Muie to Navarons.  At Lago Tramonti dam I turned and headed toward Chievolis.  Here the climb starts up Val Silisia, as usual a good workout.  At the first mid-ride summit a family of deer were having lunch.  The mother stayed by the gorge cliff-edge, while 3 babies (quite clumsy and cute) and a yearling crossed the deserted road for some food. I stayed away and used zoom to take a foto, then the mother got spooked, headed downslope, and the yearling and babies jumped over the guardrail to follow.   

The Lago Ca' Selva dam was peaceful as always.  I thought I'd cross over and go a few hundred meters up the dirt road toward Forcella Clautana.  Suddenly the dirt road gave way to pavement, not new but still in good condition.  Not sure why I haven't seen this before- I may have and I've forgotten (my memory is pretty spotty).  The narrow road begins climbing, getting steeper and steeper until 653 meters near Panuch.  There is a trailhead here.  Then you descend through a stupendous beech tree forest with big dolomite stone cliffs.  On the other side of the narrow lane is the back end of Lago Ca' Selva, normally hidden from view.  I finally reached the bottom of this descent and continued to the  stream crossing  at Val Bassa, where pavement ended.  The gravel road looks pretty good, so I may come back later and try to go further.

Now back over the hill again, down to the lake, up the other hill, and down the road to Cievolis.  From here I took the main road through Meduno and Maniago to home. 

Note:  Had another flat on Vittorio Diamante Pro tire near Val Colvera- I'm swapping it for a Michelin Lithion tonight.  

Mama deer, left edge, 2 baby deer in road

Lago Ca' Selva back end from Panuch,
with Forcella Clautana in background 

Overview of the climb

The new (to me) paved road to Panuch and Val Bassa

A km of 13.6% to Panuch

On the way back from Val Bassa, a km of mere 12.2%

Steep ramps leading to Panuch

Lago Cà Selva

Lago Cà Selva is a mountain lake north of Meduno.  Turn off the main road at Lago Redona (aka Lago Tramonti) and cross the dam.  Follow the lake shore to Chievolis and here the climb begins, from 320m to 558m in 6 km.  Doesn't sound much, but it's quite steep (with gradients up to 13%), and lots of ups and downs in between.  

Didn't take any pictures because there's been no snow this year, the vegetation's all brown, etc.  The lack of precipitation also has lowered the lake level and reduced the normally-thundering rapids of Torrente Silisia to a trickle.  Still a good workout though, and I'll try to ride it more often this year. 

Val Muié - Lago di Selva

Got a late start- so chose a medium-sized ride.  Headed up through Bus di Colvera to Poffabro.  From here, a beautiful uninhabited descent down Val Muié to Navarons.  After a short jaunt north along the Meduna River, I turned left at the dam of Lago dei Tramonti.  Followed the east shore of the lake for awhile, then crossed the bridge over Torrente Silisia to Chievolis.

Now the climb starts, gaining 130 meters in the first 1.5 km- about 8.7%.  There is a 2 km rolling stretch next, losing and regaining altitude repeatedly.  Then another short climb of about 1 km, gaining another 100 meters (roughly 10%).  The road is carved into the side of the steep gorge of Torrente Silisia, one or two hundred meters below.  You can hear the rushing white water below, particularly at one narrow rock chute where the sound comes closer to thunder.  I'd love to hike down there someday- that would be awesome.

After descending to 500 meters at Lago di Selva, you cross the high dam, and the road turns to dirt.  Looks like a nice MTB ride.  The lake is surrounded by mountains, most spectacularly to the southeast, where the back of Monte Raut (2025 m) looms.

The ride back was fun- I returned via Meduno instead of Poffabro.  Quite a few cyclists out for a weekday- but it's unseasonably warm for March:  20℃ (or 68℉).  If it could only last!

Waterfall and rapids far below in the gorge of Torrente Silisia

Thundering white water in chutes of Torrente Silisia gorge

Forca della Media (1492 m) north of lake

Monte Corda (1463 m) north of lake

Gradient from Lago dei Tramonti to Lago di Selva

Elevation from Lago dei Tramonti to Lago di Selva 

Val Muié is red line at bottom.
Climb to Lago di Selva red line at top.

Lago Cà Selva- Cà Zul

The little climb up the Torrente Silisia gorge to Lago di Cà Selva is one of my favorites. Its wild rock and pines remind me of Silverwood Lake in southern California (minus the manzanita). The music of the river far below graces this otherwise silent place.

After climbing up the gorge and descending almost to the dam, I tried something new. There is another mountain lake a few miles north called Cà Zul. The only road is via two construction tunnels from 1961 when the dam was built. They are unlit, very narrow, over one mile long each, and have water pouring down the walls. This fellow describes them.

I thought I'd bring along a light and see if I could ride through them. The concrete pavement wasn't bad at first, and they have the invading water routed through drains under the pavement. It was absolutely pitch black- the only light was my little Cateye headlight illuminating a little spot a few feet ahead of my wheel. I thought maybe I could make it. After a few hundred meters the sound of water pouring down the walls grew much louder, and the concrete floor turned very rough and rocky. With a mountain bike it might be possible, but no, I couldn't ride it. I turned around and looked back at the white dot of the entrance. It seemed so far away.

When I re-emerged at Cà Selva I was very happy to be back in the open air. After enjoying the view of the lake, I headed back down the gorge and home. It was noon now on the plain and quite hot. Felt so good getting home and taking a soothing soak.

There's another option to visit Cà Zul, a hike from Tramonti di Sopra. I'll try that soon.

Noisy rapids far down in the gorge

Monte Raut from behind (from the north)

Entrance to the black hole

Looking back toward sunlight, fresh air, life

Mountains west of the lake

The dam

Map of the 2 lakes

The route up Torrente Siliais

Lago Cà Selva

Rode through the Bus di Colvera to Poffabro, down the Val Muiè to Val Meduna. Then across the dam at Lago dei Tramonti, along the shore to Chievolis. Then steeply upward along the wall of the Torrente Silisia gorge to the dam at Lago Cà Selva. Great workout (numerous stretches of 10%) through spectacular scenery. Loved hearing the white water roaring far below in the gorge. Want to do this ride again soon.

Snow melt in the Bus di Colvera

Arm of Lago dei Tramonti at Chievolis

Rapids and chutes in Torrente Silisia

Chute (waterfall?) far down in the gorge

The climb along the gorge wall to Cà Selva

Beautiful blue wildflowers

Map

Ride profile