Cycling Dolomiti Friulane: Korada

Korada and Kolovrat are a couple of WW I battlegrounds along the Italian-Slovenian border. I've visited them on the road bike before but I'd heard with a mountain bike you can make them into a loop. I parked at a pretty vineyard village called Mernicco and crossed into Slovenian via a new (to me) entry point. It's a bridge across Torrente Judrio leading to the village of Golo Brdo. From here I began ascending a paved road toward Senjk, which I skirted past in route to the dirt road for Korada. This dirt road has a decent surface (but not road-bikeable), climbing continuously up to 660 meters where it joins the paved road coming up from Drnovk. At Korada I rode on a paved then dirt road to a meadowy area at 740 meters. Great views from here, though it was beginning to get hazy.

Next I headed toward Lig. For some reason I thought this was only partially paved, but it's a gorgeous well-paved road. From Lig I continued on the winding forested route to Kambresko. Now I headed toward Srednje on an older but decent surface. The pavement finally runs out about 3 km from Kolovrat, though it's still a very good gravel surface. In fact a road biker was headed downhill on it as I ascended. I think I could climb it on a road bike but would need low gears to ascend while seated. Maybe I'll try it with the 34-30.

At Kolovrat you rejoin pavement and many tourists visiting the Pot Miru Outdoor Museum, a collection of rebuilt trenches and outdoor exhibits. I rode the MTB through a little dip in the ridge on a trail leading to Bivacco Zanuso road along the western Italian side. From here I coasted down through Passa Solarie to the Drenchia road, where I turned left then soon turned off for Clabuzzaro. I'd read a MTB trail started there, but saw no signs so I guessed where to go. I headed down a freshly paved road marked Casa Erdiel. There was a huge Prepotto sign pointing down a rough steep hiking trail. After a group of a couple dozen hikers climbed out I headed down. One of the hikers said she'd ridden it before and after the steep beginning it was fun. It was crazy steep at the beginning but I managed not to crash. Then it turned into the most fun I've had on a bike in years: rock formations, vegetation, mud bogs, crazy steep counter ascents followed by long fast downhills. Every time another surprise popped up I started laughing, it was just too much at once.

Eventually it settled down some, still hugging the steep edge of Torrente Judrio's beautiful gorge but becoming less unpredictable. After a few kilometers I reached Ponte Clinaz, where the trail/road appears to have been paved decades ago but almost all of it is washed away now. Then finally at Mulino Vecchio it becomes a regular dirt road you could drive your car on. Further still it becomes paved and continues down the wider valley of the Judrio, covered in vineyards. Wonderful ride.