Le Malghe

A wonderful storm blew through yesterday and washed away all the haze.  Spectacular "seeing" for August in Italy.  I hopped on Maxima and headed down to Coltura,  then resumed the climb to Mezzomonte so rudely interrupted by the previous windstorm last weekend.  Then I continued climbing past 1300 meters to the ridgeline connecting Piancavallo with Il Cansiglio.  I decided to try the gravel ridge road on my road bike despite running 23mm slicks.  I made it but I really need fatter tires.

Lots of MTBers up here but no one else.  I'd forgotten how many malghe and casere are along this road.  It still seems wild though despite this contact with civilization.  Eventually I rejoined the descent road from Il Cansiglio to Caneva/Sarone, got down to Via Pedemontane and sped home.  There are several other variations of this ride with other malghe to revisit: must return soon.

View from the 1300 meter ridgeline;
il Adriatico is visible on the horizon

Casera Busa Bernart

Spectacular panorama above La Santissima spring

Looking down at Mezzomonte with
the Adriatic Sea in the background 

Lovely casera

The climb from Coltura to ridgeline at 1300 m

Map listing some of the malghe

Bohinju

Been wanting to try this Slovenian adventure for a long time.  After driving to Most Na Soci I parked at Postaya, then started pedaling along the River Baci northeast on the rolling ride to Podbrdo.  Here serious climbing begins, finally topping out at 1280 meters at Soriska Planina.  Had a rear flat shortly before the summit, and found a very stiff piece of steel wire pushed through the casing (from a steel belted truck tire?)  Once that was sorted I went over the top and headed down.  To my dismay the front disc brake wasn't working on the 12% descent so I quickly locked up the rear brake.  The front brake would not regain pressure so I just pulsed the rear and tried to keep from overheating it.  

After the flattish area around lovely Lake Bohinju I turned around and reversed my tracks.  Even steeper this direction, but at least it was uphill so no death-defying thrills.  After the summit several miles of white-knuckle rear brake descending were followed by more fun rollers back to the start.  Strange ride but fun in its own way.

Petrovo Brdo

Below Soriska Planina

Spodnya Sorica

East end of Lake Bohinju 

Church by the lake 

Pobrdo to Soriska Planina

Bohinjska Bistrika to Soriska Planina

Monte San Simeone

I skipped this favorite climb last year so I could MTB nearby Monte Festa instead.   Today I returned via Strada del Bottecchia to Lago Cavazzo and started climbing.  The Legend Fedaia is a natural climber, it feels eager to ascend.  At 1200 meters I reached the top of the climb (you can continue on foot up to 1450 meters).  It's quiet (except for birds), peaceful and beautiful here.

Descent was fun.  Great ride.

A couple of notes: the disc brakes are good but you don't need them if you rarely ride where you'll get your rims wet or dusty or sandy.  In dry, clean conditions they're no better than good rim brakes.

Di2 is fantastic.  I'm addicted.  If you remember the days of reaching down to your down tube to push your friction shifter levers, then you'll recall how awesome it was to do it all right from the ergopower hoods.  Di2 is the same sort of quantum leap.  
    

This is the top of Monte San Simeone 1450 metres

Chiesa di San Simeone

Consecrated in the 1350's

The round end where altar is located

Monte Palantarins MTB ride

Mountains near Tolmezzo

Mountains above Venzone

Walled medieval town of Venzone

Gemona on the Tagliamento

12 km of 8.3%.  Good workout

Crode di San Tome

The climb from Dardago to Crode di San Tome is a good place to check out the Fedaia's climbing ability: long sections of steady gradient with sparse traffic and beautiful scenery.  The bike is very  comfortable and feels light on the steep gradients.  At end of pavement I turned around and checked out the handling at speed: steady as a rock.  The only thing missing on this climb are lots of curves, so I headed to Mezzomonte to try those.  Unfortunately a hellacious wind storm struck: tree limbs were falling everywhere in the windblown rain.  I turned around at 230 meters and tried to get down intact.  

Back on wide-open Via Pedemontane things were even worse, with wind blasts almost knocking me off the bike several times.  I rode clinching the hoods and bent with my shoulder turned toward ithe blasts.  That seemed to help and I only veered off into the verge once.  After Piancavallo turnoff it got less windy, though still drizzling.   A parade of beautiful red Ferrari with tops down came by, headed toward Piancavallo.  That was a pleasant surprise.  On the final climb past Hotel Royal the bike powered up as if it had a hidden electric motor.  Great climber.      

Val Grande above end of pavement

When an artisan signs his work it means he's proud;
I could sense that when speaking with Marco Bertoletti

Beautiful forcellina: this one customized for QR 

Legend Fedaia First Impressions

Been dreaming about this for 3 or 4 years.  Then last winter when descending from a local peak with my hands knotted in arthritic pain I decided I needed discs.  Marco Bertoletti makes steel road frames with discs (also carbon or titanium but out of my price range) so I ordered one.  The result exceeds all expectations.  Very comfortable, with no stem changes, steerer spacer stacks etc.  Marco is great to work with, like talking with another rider/mechanic, not a salesman.      

Anyway the ride today was a flattish loop to Cordenons and back.  Practiced di2 shifting: getting better but still mixing it up sometimes.  Also did the little climb up to Giais with some packages picked up at the post office.  This bike is a good climber.  Not sure how much heavier it is than the Maxima but it doesn't feel heavier at all.  Climbed up past the Royal like it was nothing.  Anyway more to come as we get familiarized.

Disc side view in the garden

Official portrait at Bergamo factory

Vojsko

I drove to Slovenia, through Tolmin, past Most na Soci to Dolenja Trebusa.  Instead of the paved road to Gorenja Trebusa this time I took the left dirt fork marked Oblakov Vrh, a beautiful 670 meter pass.  I was on my road bike because I couldn't determine if the road was paved, but the hard-packed dirt was no problem to ride.  After the pass the road eventually became paved, though it was quite rough further down.   The road winds down further to Spodnja Idrija, where it joins the main highway to Idrija.  I passed through this brief trafficked zone and then found the well-paved climb for Vojsko.  It ascends steeply with no rest, reminding me a bit of Dolada.  Finally around 800-900 meters you get some flattish spots alternating with short steep ramps.  Tops out around 900-1000, but I turned toward Mrzla Rupa shortly before the highest spot.  

Now you're on another steep hard-packed dirt road, no trouble with 23mm slicks as long as you keep braking to avoid speed.  After Mrzla Rupa I was on familiar turf: the long steep dirt descent to Gorenja Trebusa.  This seemed much longer on a road bike because of the glacial pace: on MTB it feels like a ski run.  Finally asphalt again near the bottom, then the fast curvy road back to Dolenja Trebusa.

This area of Slovenia is one of the prettiest places I'ver ever been.  Want to try riding to Bohinj lake soon.

Looking back down the dirt road toward Dolenja Trebusa

From Oblakov Vrh back toward Dolenja Trebusa

Over Oblakov Vrh toward Kanomljica

View east from Vojsko

View north from Vojsko

Easy dirt climb to Oblako Vrh

Hard paved climb to Vojsko

Monte Dolada

Another annual rite:  the climb of Monte Dolada. I rode to Vittorio Veneto and over Passo Fadalto.  After descending to Farra d'Alpago I rode a new approach to Pieve d'Alpago.  Seemed easier.  Then up to Plois and the climb to 1500 meters.  Very hard today, not sure why. I descended to the turn off for Schiucaz, a shortcut to Tambre.   Continued to Spert then down to the bridge and the short hard climb to Campon in Cansiglio.  Lots of vistors today, which is great because maybe they will help preserve this area.  Descended to Sarone them home.  Tired!

Monte Dolada ridgeline from the climb.

Looking down at Alpago conch

Campanile di Pieve d'Alpago above Lago Santa Croce

Monte Dolada

The climb to Tambre

Sella Chiampon

This is a beautiful local ride with several climbs to keep you in shape.  First you ride up Passo Monte Rest followed by descent to the Tagliamento.  Quite a hilly road from here to Priuso, where you join the main highway.  Shortly afterward you turn off for Socchieve and Preone.  Climbing out of Preone you reach a fork in the road, the right side of which I'd never explored.  Turns out pavement ends in about a km with an interesting gravel road continuing on.  Backtrack and then descend to Torrente Seazza.  The climb out from here used to give me nightmares but all this working out seems to be helping.  After Sella Chiampon I headed down Fiume Arzino, through San Francesco and Pielungo to Anduins.  I took the shortcut below Vito d'Asio marked Celante which bypasses the climb to Clauzetto.  From Travesio I took the usual route through Arba to Campagna and home.  Fun ride.

View west from Monte Rest descent

End of pavement on the unknown road I checked out today 

Torrente Seazza

From Val Preone: the gap I MTB'd through last year to Malga Pezzeit

View from Val Preone toward Sella Chiampon

Barcis - Valle Friz

Rode up through Valcellina to Barcis and then headed up Valcaltea to Piancavallo.  Cool shady climb on a midsummer morning.  Next I passed through Piancavallo and began climbing up the road to Casera Campo and I Fanghi.  A few km later I stopped at end of pavement (actually pavement continues down to Mezzomonte but the road to Il Cansiglio turns to dirt).  Fantastic descent to Aviano  then home.

Peaks above Lago di Barcis

The normally-placid dam had its sluice gates wide-open this morning

Thundering cascade

The gorgeous hills at end of pavement

The flock keeping Valle Friz trimmed

First climb Barcis to Piancavallo

Second climb Piancavallo to I Fanghi