Rifugio Marinelli MTB

Another ride up near the border of Carnia and Austria.  I had ridden up to Rifugio Tolazzi a few years ago on the Merckx and lately I've been reading that Rifugio Marinelli is a local MTBing benchmark.  It's now or never.

After driving to Comeglians I rode up the valley to Forni Avoltri.  From there I climbed to Rifugio Tolazzi then headed up the steep concreted road.  Lots of hikers on this trail today adding to the fun.  The trail turns to gravel and continues climbing, alternating with concrete on the steeper parts.  Soon the road veers away from the hiking trail and the surroundings begin to feel wilder.  This is one of the tougher parts of the climb, unrelentingly steeply upward.

I reached  Rifugio Marinelli at 2100 meters.  Day hikers climb up here, eat lunch and descend.  I instead followed a sign pointing east toward Timau.  The trail was too rough for me to ride so I walked down the first few hundred meters (although an awesome rider was climbing up this section, ascending the numerous vertical drops I was afraid to descend).  Soon it becomes rideable loose rock trail so I hopped back on.

Beautiful high-valleys with peaks above.  The road winds down and eventually enters fir forest with streams and songbirds.  Finally it joins the main road connecting Tolmezzo with Austria via Passo Monte Croce Carnico.  I headed east to Timau then south toward Sutrio.

My car was in Comeglians so nothing to do but climb up over Ravascletto (the ski resort town for Zoncolan) and coast down,  This is an easy climb but I was fried by now so it felt tough.  Luckily I pulled through.

This is an awesome ride.  The scenery alone is worth the effort.

Dolomiti Sappadine in Veneto

Cliffs on bottom tier of Monte Coglians (at 1700 meters)

Pian dei Buoi from Rifugio Marinelli

Alpine lake, hills at Plotta

Rifugio Martinelli with Monte Coglians behind/above

Looking back up to the rifugio from bike trail below

Monte Coglians left (2780 m), Kellerspitzen right (2716 m) 

Kellerspitzen, stretching east toward Passo Monte Croce Carnico

Looking back from near Casera Plotta

View through pass at Polinik in Austria

Passo, Pal Piccolo, Timau

Max grade is about 20% 

Monte Coglians (Rifugio Tolazzi)

I woke up at 0400 and drove away at 0700.  It was nice and cool out.  I parked at Comeglians and headed up the beautiful twisty road along Degano river gorge toward Forni Avoltri.  The gorge is covered in very big fir trees, so it's shady and damp, with white water frothing below.  Flanking the gorge are mountains covered in trees, or pastures, or exposed faces of dolomite rock.  Pretty villages perch on the steep slopes here and there.

The climb lessens a bit at Rigolato, so if you want a flatter warm-up, this might be a better starting point.  The gorge widens out under open sky, though still walled-in by mountains on both sides.  There's a kilometer-long tunnel, wide and well-lit, then you arrive at Forni Avoltri.  Take a right at the sign for Collina.

Here the first and longest steep stretch begins- 1.5 km of 9-12%.  In keeping with my new plan, I stood and climbed it.  Felt good, though it seems kind of jaunty, like I'm going "Look at how I bounce up and down!"  I'll get used to it, I guess.

The road flattens a bit and crosses a lovely stone arch bridge over Rio Frassenetto.   You continue up an easy slope through 4 little villages, with beautiful wooden balconies covered in flowers.  The last village, Collina has some confusing signage, and everyone seemed baffled.  It was even mentioned in the guidebook, but I still got it wrong.   I rode up a very steep drive and met a hiker who told me how to go.  After a short descent I climbed standing up the steep grade to Rifugio Tolazzi, at the end of the paved road.  Looming above is Monte Coglians, on the Austrian border, at 2780 meters the highest peak in the Carnic Alps.  I noticed the hiking trail was paved in cement  the first 200-300 meters, so I rode that up to 1416 meters.  It averaged 20% with points of 24%, but thankfully it was short.

When I descended from the cement road, I encountered a fellow on a mountain bike I had passed way back at Rigolato.  He had a big smile when he saw me, I imagine because he was laughing that a bonehead on a road bike would try climbing this wall.

The descent was relaxing- I stopped frequently to admire the waterfalls, mountains, valleys etc.   Later after Rigolato, the curvy descent down the gorge to Comeglians was wonderful.  Great ride!

Church above Rigolato with Angel Gabriel windvane

Monte Coglians, 2780m on Austrian border

Monte Capolago (just west of Monte Coglians)

Monte Crostis above forested valley

Monte Pièros and peaks along Veneto border

Tumbling mountain stream under stone arch bridge