Ultegra di2 11-34

Test climb with 11-34 cassette.  Worked great!

From l to r:  Monte Fara, Monte Raut, Monte Jouf

Pussa

North of Barcis you climb through wonderful Cellina gorge on the main road until turning off toward Claut.  Shortly afterward you reach another gorge leading north, Val Settimane.  This is a fantastic narrow road, sometimes paved, sometimes gravel, leading you to a trailhead at Pussa.  On foot or a mountain bike you can continue into the Dolomiti Friulane, but today I turned around here.  It's a magical place, so rugged and spectacular.  Be a shame to miss it if you are in the area.  

In the distance the peaks you MTB to from Pussa

Another view of the back country

Casera Pussa, where milk from local cows is made into cheese

Noisy, easy-access waterfall

Monte Tomatico

I first heard of Monte Tomatico in Jack's blog jackciclista.blogspot.it , and I've spent the last 7 years  cooking up excuses to avoid it.  Today was the  day of reckoning, so I approached, trembling.  The first hurdle arrived in the form of an unmarked junction.  Surely the one marked "Private" and "Forbidden: shepherds and woodsmen only"couldn't be it.  72 vertical meters out of the saddle later the obviously correct fork dead ended.

I rolled back down and took the other fork.  I alternated mashing Maxxima's 34 X 32 gear seated, and standing, pulling the bars up with each half-stroke.  I survived this torture up to 965 meters and then could pedal no more.  For awhile I struck various "Goodbye, cruel world" poses. Then I started pushing the bike up the hill.  Finally at 1109 meters I deemed it climbable again and remounted.

The road eventually turns to gravel, but is still rideable.  Finally at 1400 meters is a junction.  I decided to turn around here, as ominous dark clouds were amassing and there were thunderstorms in the forecast.  A couple of Italian MTB'ers arrived from the other side (another route) and asked where I was from.  One said I should go up the hill to the cross which is the highest spot but I decided to turn back.  The descent was much more fun.  I will try this again with MTB (which is atrophying in the shed this summer).   It will be perfect for this road.    

Pretty piazzetta in Porcen, start of climb 

Very well-marked at the start

Hmmm, left or right?

Left is forbidden, can't be the one (no?) 

Chissa'?

A little rifugio at 1400 meters

I was advised to go up to the cross on top,
but I'll MTB up there next time

Windy, fast moving dark clouds
coming over the top of Monte Grappa

The climb

The bike pushing

Passo Cason di Lanza

A classic Carnia climb: beautiful rugged landscape, miles of deserted twisty steep roads,  sun baking you as you climb, followed by a hypothermic descent.  Paradise.

Today I climbed from Paularo  after a warmup from Moggio via Tolmezzo.  The valley of Torrente Chiarso to Paularo is a gorgeous ride in itself, with countless variations: would be great Autumn riding.

I almost made it to the pass without collapsing but had to stop and rest about 2 km from the top.  It's humbling, some days you can make it but sometimes you can't.

All that is forgotten on the exhilarating descent, so steep and twisty you will be begging to get off before it's through.

I meant to include Selle Cereschiatis and Val Aupa on the return to Moggio but I was beat.  Instead I rolled down SS-13 il Pontebbana to my car park:  all through traffic uses the Autostrada so you have this wide beautifully paved road almost to yourself.

Must return soon, do the Illegio climb and try to descend the dirt road to Lovea, or maybe another spectacular ride.  Carnia will spoil you for choice.

Monte Zermula 2143 meters

Monte Pizzul 1985 meters

The climb

Forcella di Giais

This morning I rode Fedaia up through Bornass and Castaldia to the gorgeous valley at Candaglia.  The gravel road is rideable at first, then after Casera Medico becomes intermittently impossible on a road bike, until after Casera Valfredda I gave up trying and just pushed.  After awhile you reach the turnoff for the three radio towers which I avoided, continuing on the hiking trail.  I've snowshoed up here so it's familiar.  The trail descends down to Forcella di Giais, where I went left so I could ride the bike home.  Soon it began descending very steeply, which startled me because I have MTB'ed up it and it seemed much easier.  It's simply too rough/steep for my 28mm tires. 

Finally this torture ended and I joined the road to Barcis at Pian delle More.   Fun descent with fantastic scenery.  At the lake I clipped on front and rear lights to traverse the tunnels home.  Wonderful ride and hike.

Candaglia  altopiano

Monte Cavallo Gruppo to the north

At this pass you first see Monte Ressetum above Claut

Wild rhododendron

Right takes you directly to my house,
left is the bikeable route

Forcella di Giais,
(also visible from our back window)

The bikeable path/road to Lake Barcis

Looking north from lakeside

The southeastern view

The climb from Costa to Forcella di Giais

The gravel road through Candaglia

Monte Pizzoc from Via Patriarche

This climb starts in Villa di Villa at Cordenons.  Head up past Castello di Cordenons onto the long shady road to the Carbonaia, where they were having a big barbeque.  The whole zone is covered in big faggio (beech) trees, keeping the sweltering sun at bay.  Before long you join the road coming up from Sarone and then La Crossetta.

After a brief descent turn onto the road for Monte Pizzoc.  After a bit of climbing you pass through an area of even older-growth faggi about 5 feet in diameter, the real patriarchs of il Cansiglio.  Then onto the grassy pastureland surrounding the summit.  Wonderful clear air up for viewing the mountains, the plains, and even the shimmering Adriatico on the horizon.

The descent is long and a bit hyperthermic even in mid-July.  I felt slightly high on mountains the rest of the afternoon.

  

Piancansiglio

Alpi Bellunese

Laghi Revine 

Cadolten

The long road down

The climb

Col dei Scios

Another beautiful ride on the Panoramica connecting Piancavallo with Il Cansiglio.   I climbed to Piancavallo from Pedemonte, then continued up to 1500 meters above Casera Valle Friz.   I eventually reached Casera Col dei Scios in the gorgeous rolling grassland of altopiano.  No one else up here, even in mid-July.  Heaven.

Stormy sky above 1500 meters

Casera Col dei Scios

The climb from Pedemonte