Via Guitcillo da Montanara

This is another little road grappling up the wall toward the Cansiglio.  I tried it today with my lightweight Viner Maxima, but still don't have the form required.  Maybe around July I'll be in shape. Today instead I stopped a couple of times to rest, but never gave up so no cause for shame.  At end of pavement I continued until the last house and then hiked carrying the bike steeply up slope to the dirt road eventually connecting with the main road from Vittorio Veneto to Il Cansiglio.  From there I rode up to the junction which leads down to Sarone.  Hard ride but the sky was crystalline with great views of Monte Cesen, Pizzoc and Cadolten so worth every drop of sweat.  

The heart of the climb

Col Alt

Today I decided to give Maxima a ride because this climb is so steep I needed the lightest bike I could find.  I warmed up riding to Sarmede then began climbing up to Rugolo.  I turned left at a sign pointing to Castelir Alpini church.  I gave it my best effort but died about 100 meters short of the church and had to walk (after gasping like a fish for a few minutes).

Next I began the twisty climb up to Dal Cin, which is very steep but at least has some brief less-precipitous sections.  At Dal Cin it becomes a gravel road which before long peaks out. Instead of heading downhill turn left at ruin of old house onto a foot trail.  I walked most of this and then joined another dirt road leading to Col Alt, a memorial to the Partigiani of WWII (sort of like the French Resistance).

I descended on a rough gravel road which soon joins Strada del Patriarca down to Villa di Villa.  The rolling ride home seemed easy after all that climbing.

Col Alt memorial at 830 meters

The face of exhaustion

Climb from Sarmede to near Col Alt

Monte Pala

Warmed up from Giais to Travesio then headed up through Clauzetto, Rope, to Monte Pala.  Think this is my first time here on a road bike because the Monte Pala section is intermittently paved/ gravel.  They were having some sort of MTB competition but it was small and I didn't get in the way.  I will try this again on MTB later, as the steep gravel was tough with 28mm slicks.

The climb

Map of Clauzetto to Monte Pala

Strada del Patriarca - Piancavallo

A stupendous clear cold April morning which felt more like February.  I dressed properly this time though so I didn't freeze.  After warming up from Giais to Villa di Villa I headed up Strada del Patriarca, a wild remote alternative to the Sarone-Cansiglio road.  At La Crosetta I turned right onto the strada bianca to Candaglia.  Great surface even with a road bike through the big trees and karst.

At Casa Forestale I switched onto the gravel road that exits the Cansiglio in the direction to Piancavallo.     This soon connects to the newly paved Panoramica, which after more descending and climbing arrived in Piancavallo.

A caution: they are paving several stretches of the Piancavallo main road preparing for the Giro d'Italia. I was lucky and didn't get into any fresh asphalt, but I think I'll wait till after race day to ride there again.

View of Pian Cansiglio meadows from the forestry road

The lovely strada bianca through big trees

From Casa Forestale northwest toward the Dolomiti

Col di Scous dusted with snow

The cobalt blue sky at i Fanghi,  highpoint at 1597 meters

The climb up Strada del Patriarca

Cuel di Forchia

Cold overcast day, but a beautiful ride nonetheless.  The wild rugged climb from Avasinis to Cuel di Forchia (above Monte Prat) is not to be missed.  Now I'm exhausted.

The climb

Grifone eye view

Lago Ca' Selva Panuch

A favorite local ride with a long rolling warmup through Meduno, followed by a steep climb from Chievolis to Lago Ca' Selva, and then the kicker:  a kilometer of 12%-15% up to a headland called Panuch.  I was absolutely knackered by the time I made it home.  Highly recommended!

Looking back down the wall from Panuch

Wild, remote Torrente Silisia below the dam

Not a bad way to be remembered

Climb from Chievolis to Lago Ca' Selva

Climb to Panuch

Monte Candaglia to Piancavallo

Left home at 0630 and ascended from Sarone to Pian Cansiglio.   Turn right and ride to the barrier, go around it and ride on dirt/gravel road briefly.  Soon you reach crumbly loose pavement and begin ascending.  The steepness isn't the main difficulty: it's loosing traction on the fir straw, poor pavement, vegetation debris, etc.  At end of pavement you reach a forestry house, deserted on this early Spring morning.  The gravel road continues climbing along Monte Candaglia for a couple of km to the junction with the newly paved road to Piancavallo.  It was quite cold up here so I did as much standing climbing as I could to keep warm.  

Passing the junction for Mezzomonte I continued on to Casera Valle Friz and Malga Campo.  I then took the main Piancavallo road down to Pedemonte.   Wonderful ride, on road bike or MTB.

The road from Pian Cansiglio
joins road to Piancavallo here

Gorgeous rolling grassland near Col di S'cios

Wildfowl visit this lake for a drink and some rest

The Sarone-La Crosetta climb

The climb to Monte Candaglia

The climb from Mezzomonte road to the
highpoint at i Fanghi, near Casera Valle Friz

The view from above

Total ride stats

Andreis to Valdifrina

Another climb very close to home: Pala Barzana from west to east.  The climb from the east side is more popular and equally scenic, but this one is harder.  After traversing the 4 km tunnel I arrived in Andreis and headed uphill.  This first section isn't bad but as you wind past the turn off for Malga Fara (also a good climb) the road pitches up for a few hundred meters.  That's a good workout.  Then it winds around a bit more and you arrive at Pala Barzana.

From here the bike traffic increases, even an occasional car.  At the bottom you do some more climbing to get back to civilization: Poffabro or my choice today, Valdifrina.  This is a pretty little lane but very steep as you head down to Valcolvera.  Valcolvera brings you to the first tunnel, after which I got off the main road and coasted through Fora di Colvera, carefully avoiding rock climbers' belay lines.  Maniago then home.  Good ride!  

Monte Raut from the descent

Another shot further down the hill

From Valdifrina

The climb

Panoramica Piancavallo - Cansiglio paved (almost)

I rode Fedaia down to Coltura and turned uphill toward Mezzomonte.  At the cemetery before Mezzomonte I turned left and began climbing more steeply.  Completely deserted this morning with cloudmist cloaking big fir trees.  I was doing ok until the killer concrete ramp near the top: made it halfway up and then I had to walk.  Shortly afterward I reached the junction with the panoramica.

I was methodically donning my cold weather gear when I noticed the usually gravel road to the west had been paved.  I was helpless to resist exploring this and shoved off.  The road is absolutely beautiful and perfect for a road bike.   The only caveat is the older concrete sections near the malghe: they are rough and have many wide drainage channels to slow down for (or bunny hop).  

Alas the pavement ends in rough gravel and muddy logging roads before joining the main road to Sarone.  So not roadbikeable yet, but the improved access to beautiful Col dei S'cios is cause for celebration.  I will try this from Piancavallo next time, possibly descending via Monte Candaglia nel Cansiglio.  

The concrete ramp slew me near that tree

While you're recovering, remember this ramp is next 

Fresh pavement heading west

Gorgeous valley below Col dei S'cios

The climb from Coltura to the panoramica

Oregon 600 batteries died again; luckily I have this portion
from an old MTB ride: should help you see where the road goes

Piancavallo and Monte Candole

Pedemonte to Piancavallo is the third closest climb from our house, just a km further than Costa.  Much harder though.

Today was an overcast day with rain forecast.  I tried to sneak in a ride to Casera Valle Friz above Piancavallo but the off and on drizzle seemed to intensify above Malga Campo, so I decided to turn back despite being almost there.  Good call because descending in the drizzle quickly had me near hypothermia.  

At Bornass I turned off to take the slower less-steep descent to Costa.  This helped considerably.  At the washed-out bridge I stopped: there was a very pretty white goat who, after after some frightened hesitation, finally sprinted past me.  On the ascent home I stood to generate some heat, helped some.

Good ride in the rain!

The climb

Root canal ops check

I had a root canal last week and after sitting around whimpering for days I felt good enough today to attempt a ride.  I had to pay the water bill in Aviano so I rode to the bank.  On the way home I took a different route: after Marsure I rode on the ciclovia to Giais.  They've paved a new road from the campo di calcio up to the church.  Very nice ride and my teeth didn't hurt.

Giais church

Santa Maria Maggiore with campanile 

Restored Lombard chapel

Fontana by chapel

Beautiful lavanderia