Pala d'Altei MTB

Another attempt to reach the summit of Pala d'Altei, a mountain I wake up seeing from my bedroom window every morning but have never reached the top.  The ride began well but halfway through the gravel section I shifted and the chain was stuck between the big cog and the spokes.  I tried pulling it but no go.  Finally I pulled the wheel off (still dangling from the chain), put both feet on the wheel and pulled the chain like tensioning a long bow.  That worked.

Everything still functioned so I pressed on.  At the end of the gravel road I hid my bike in the foliage and started hiking.  This eastern approach is shady and cool, very welcome on this sunny day.   Eventually I reached the hollow that was full of snow back in April.  I headed up the trail to the top of  Pala d'Altei, which was covered with wildflowers and (unfortunately) stinging nettles.  So many stings that the hair on my legs felt like it was hallucinating, very disconcerting.  

The walk back was easy and the descent uneventful.  This type of riding/hiking is pretty habit forming.  I'll try to do it more often.    

Lago di Ravedis

The cross on the mountaintop 

Grizzo and Malnisio

Cross close-up

Rhododendron hunkering down in its cranny

Giais far below

Mostly on the bike, walking toward the end

Monte Lussari MTB

I've been dreaming of this climb ever since I read about the trio of pilgrimage churches on the Italo-Slovene border:  Castelmonte, Sveta Gora and Monte Lussari.  They're all atop steep summits which  the pilgrims would ascend on foot after an even longer hike from their hometowns.  Today I passed a few hikers on the ascent and one other biker.  Most people now days take the funvia (cable car).

You start at Valbruna just off the road to Tarviso.  After a brief paved warm up the road crosses a bridge over Torente Saisera  and slants steeply upward.  I gave it my best shot but eventually had to push the bike up the steeper bits.  Maybe a quarter or a third of the climb I had to walk.  After the worst is past, you see the church afar on a hill and the gradient moderates slightly.  Then on the ski slope at the end it pitches up again briefly.

I walked through the tiny village (now a row of souvenir shops) and finally reached the church, very pretty with its sundial and steeple.  Very cold up here even in late June, so I donned my windshirt and arm warmers, wishing I'd brought leg warmers too.

The descent is very steep with loose gravel so I went slowly to avoid sliding over a cliff.  I will try a variant next time: to Jof di Sompdogna, which connects to paved road to Dogna on Torrente Fella.  This area is irresistibly undeveloped and wild.  Must return.  

The mountainscape

Pretty old church

The climb

Malga Monte Rest Hike

I drove to Tramonti di Sopra intending to continue driving to the pass, but the road was still closed for landslide repairs.  So I walked all the way.  The road from the pass to Malga Monte Rest is surprisingly good.  I’ll try MTBing it someday (some parts may be too steep).   The view from the altopiano is spectacular.  I’ll try to reach the summit next time for a 360 degree panorama. The trail connects to Preone as well, another future adventure.  Glorious hike.

Noisy stream

A cool lenticular cloud

View from trail toward the upper Tagliamento

Similar a bit higher up

Looking south down Fiume Meduno 

Beautiful grassy bald

Cima di Monte Rest

Peaks to the northwest

Southwestardly

Southerly view

Looking back: the vertical escarpment
on the edge of Monte Rest

Barcis-Collalto

Lovely morning to take Maxima for a spin on the backroad to Piancavallo.  Deserted, quiet,  cool and green.  So nice I had to take the little detour to Collalto.  More heaven.

Monte Cavallo 

Candaglia

Sentiero degli Malghe

Col Visentin MTB

Haven’t ridden this loop since 2015, a shame to wait so long.  It begins at Longhere outside Vittorio Veneto, and quickly gets very steep.  It hardly ever lets up, finally ending at Pian dei Grassi .  I didn’t bother stopping though: there are 600 more meters to climb.  Finally at 1700 meters you reach the top.

Now the fun begins, descending on gravel, concrete, paving stones, mixed with a crowd of weekend excursionists.  Exhilerating.  At Monte Faverghere you return  to asphalt and zoom down through Nevegal to Cunan, turn at the cemetery and descend through Roncan to Cornelade.  Ride along the lake then descend to Vittorio Veneto.  Fun workout in perfect weather, gorgeous Dolomiti peaks, heaven.

Looking back at the climb from Col Visentin

Dolomiti Bellunese

Wild rhododendron

Belluno and surrounding Dolomiti 

From the ridge Lago Santa Croce, Mezzomiglio altopiano

The climb

Forcella di Crous MTB

I pass Ravedis dozens of times per year but somehow have never ridden the trail that starts there.  The trail is very good for hiking and would be fun to descend on MTB but it’s difficult to ride up.  So I pushed much of the way.  Things improved a bit after Chiesa di San Antonio as the trail widened through Val di San Antonio.  Forcella di Crous seemed familiar; I think Teddi, Honey and I passed through here on the hike from Pala Barzana to Monte Fara.

Now I began descending, soon steeply, to the paved road from Malga Fara, and then the road to Bosplan.  Shortly I found a concrete road descending to the left.  It was great fun, meandering through the forest, climbing and descending.  Eventually it joins the main road to Andreis, a sign designating it as Sacon trekking path.  From here through the long tunnel and home.

Trailhead at Ravedis

Monte Spia

Diga di Ravedis

Cliffs of Monte Fara

Chiesa di San Antonio

Forcella di Crous

Bosplans below Dolomiti

Strada degli Alpini MTB

I rode up Valcellina to Claut then crossed the river at Matan.  Here starts the tough gravel climb to Casera Resettum at 1462 meters.  Descend briefly to the junction with the trail for Casera Colciavas and ride the rough road to 1513 meters.  Follow the sign toward  Forcella Clautana, down the swichbacks to 1432 meters.  Now descend on Strada degli Alpini, a beautiful military road from WW I.  There are a few washed out rocky sections and tree falls,  but even I was able to ride much of it downhill.  Eventually you reach the abandoned dwellings of Tranconere, cross Torrente Silisea, and ascend the gravel road to Panuch.  From there down to the dam Lago Ca’Selva, to Meduno and home.

I owe this ride to Erminio, a MTBer I met riding up Pala Barzana 6 or 7 years ago.  He recomended the climb to me and after 3 or 4 tentative attempts I finally made it.

Forcella Clautana marker

Northwest of forcella

The way down

Yellow cascading blossoms along the trail

Strada degli Alpini toward Lago Ca'Selva

Loose gravel most of the way