Monte Cereis MTB

The paved road from Meduno to Monte Valinis is a frequent local climb; I'm guessing I've done it 20 times.  But along the way several gravel roads branch off into the hills.  I've always wanted to explore them.  Today I tried the first, which veers off to the left at Chiesetta Alpini in Forchia di Meduno (630 meters).  After an intro it heads up steeply, gradually circling round the flanks of Monte Chiarandeit.  I thought there would be a trail leading to the summit (1079 meters) but I never found it.  The top looks pretty rocky so I think it may require scrambling up cliffs- will study further.

Instead, I continued  down then back up to Monte Cereis (961 meters).  The gravel road makes an interesting loop through the karst, sinkholes and trees.  At the top is a grassy pasture with a heliport marked off.

I descended back the way I'd come, taking a break at Stalla Cereis, a stone house with great views of surrounding mountains and valleys.  You can see Lago di Redona through the trees but I couldn't get a clear shot of it.  Great ride!

From near Cavasso Nuovo: left Monte Chiarandeit,
center Monte Mulon, right Monte Valinis

Frisanco, Casasola, Monte Raut

Chiesetta Alpini at Forchia di Meduno

I took the left gravel road (to Monte Chiarandeit);
the right ends at a settlement called Ferrara

View of Chiarandeit from Stalla del Bianco (hunting cabin).
It appears to be a big rock scramble with trees.

From Cereis: Cavallo Group, Poffabro, Monte Raut

View northwest

Monte Celant

Monte Raut.  Last fall I hiked up to the notch
you see below the snowcap, Forcella Capra

From Stalla Cereis: Il Von (1147m)

Stalla Cereis 

The road on cliffs above Torrente Silisia to Lago Ca'Selva

Primula bouquet surviving in a shady spot

Forcella Tamer

The weather forecast called for rain starting at noon, so I decided to do a local ride with some climbs before the downfall began.  After Maniago, just before Fanna I turned left on the road up Monte San Lorenzo.  I recommend only climbing this on Sunday or holiday because on weekdays it has giant dump trucks loaded with rock quarried at Monte San Lorenzo headed for the cementificio of Fanna.  The road has some damage from heavy rains undermining the roadbed, causing a large slump.  It's a great little workout, 2.6km averaging 8%.

Steeply down the other side to Valcolvera, and just before Poffabro turn right down Val Muie.  Fun rolling road descending after Navarons to Fiume Meduna, then steeply up to the main road for Monte Rest.  Turn left, skirt the shore of Lago di Redona until you reach the right turn toward Campone, then climb gently up the gorge of Torrente Chiarzo.  This wonderful road eventually reaches a sharp dogleg right turn up the mountainside.  I dreaded climbing this because previously the steep pavement was mostly torn up, with wet, algae-covered slippery stones: hard to climb without standing, yet nearly impossible to get traction with an unweighted rear wheel.  Luckily after a couple hundred meters it was newly paved (I guess 1 or 2 years ago).  The surface was great and the gradient was climbable seated, in 34 X 27 gear.  The road is barricaded and marked closed because of a landslide, but they've cleared the rubble from the road and are now shoring up the adjacent slope: on a bike it's no problem.   From the start of this climb to Forcella Tamer you climb 5.5 km, averaging 9.6% gradient. 

At 900m there is a cattle gate, a short stretch of paved road, and then rocky MTB riding to 1000m where the parapendi launch at Monte Valinis.  I decided to turn around at the gate so I could beat the rain.  I descended the way I'd come all the way down to the Campone road at 432m.  

After passing through Campone I began the climb up to Piani di Clauzetto at 673m.  Descending to Pradis di Sotto at 537m I noticed an unusual number of hikers, runners.  Turned out they were having a marcia, similar to Volksmarch in Germany.  I threaded through the walkers and headed up the last climb of the day through Pradis di Sopra to Cristo at 717m.  After Clauzetto I switchbacked to Travesio, then to Toppo, across Fiume Meduna, through Fanna to Maniago and home.  The predicted rain was nowhere to be seen; in fact it was now sunny and warm.  Meno male, it motivated me to ride fast and I enjoyed the rolling ride.     

Monte Raut from Monte San Lorenzo;
I'll try to hike there from Panuch in September

The rehabilitated former quarry on Monte San Lorenzo's
northeast side; the south side is still being quarried.  Beautiful
west side is still natural, with Chiesa di San Lorenzo high
 above the cliffs along Bus di Colvera

Shoring up the landslide on Campone - Forcella
Tamer road.  Note the new pavement.

Monte Ciaurlec MTB

Between Meduno and Clauzetto a massif rises near-vertically almost 1000 meters from the plain below.   It is mostly undeveloped, with one paved road climbing from Meduno to Monte Valinis to transport parapendisti (hang-gliders) to their launch site.  It's one of my favorite local climbs.  The highest point on the massif is Monte Ciaurlec (1148 m), but there is no road to it, only a hiking trail.  I read several accounts of mountain bikers riding the trail so thought I'd try.

After biking up Monte Valinis I spotted the gate at CAI 819 trailhead.  In a grassy meadow nearby is Casera Valinis, an old farmhouse where fresh cheese was made.  I tried riding the trail but it was beyond my skill level.  Twisty, hilly, lots of protruding boulders, trees and roots: after falling once I knew it was pointless.  I parked the bike by a large karst boulder and hiked from then on.

The area is completely silent except for an occasional bird.  Trees and large karst rock formations alternate with alpine grassland, with large pillow-shaped grasses.  Still early Spring, so the trees are getting their first leaves, wildflowers cover the forest floor, but the grass is still wheaten-colored and hasn't turned green yet.  At 1135 meters my turn-around time was already passed so I skipped the walk across the rolling grassy hill to the highpoint.  Luckily I found my bike again and descended quickly to Meduno, then home.  There is another trail to Ciaurlec from the Italian Army shooting range above Travesio which I rode to last year- may try that.  Better still I might drive to Piani di Clauzetto (between Campone and Pradis di Sotto) and hike up to Ciaurlec with the pups.  They would love this place.     

The gate to CAI 819

View of Meduno from the gate

Parapendio zooming over

Casera Valinis

One of many karst formations

Near the summit

Grassy ground cover near the summit

Monte Valinis

Rained all morning but around noon the sun popped out so I pulled my bike gear on and took off.  As I passed Cavasso Nuovo toward Meduno 2 guys coming the other way waved me off and said the bridge was closed.  So I turned south toward Orgnese and Sequals, crossed the river down there, and headed north toward Meduno.  I could see 11 paragliders flying along the mountain where I was headed.  At Meduno I turned right, starting the climb to Forcella Meduno, with nice sunny weather to the little pass at 650 meters.  From here a brief flattish stretch then steeply upward to Monte Valinis at 998 meters.  The paragliders' vans had all headed down while I headed upward, and now the skies grew menacingly dark.  I could hear thunder and see lightening flashing within towering stratocumulus clouds.  Descended as quickly as I could, then down to the previously closed Meduna bridge, which I had seen from the mountain was now open.  Not sure why it was closed an hour or so earlier.  I rode home as fast as possible, assisted by a tail wind.  Managed to make it home dry, but within 5 minutes the tempest hit.   Great ride!     

Downhill mountain bike racers:  come try this!

Clouds above Monte Raut 

Booming thunderheads- time to get the hell outta Dodge

More clouds to the north

Monte Valinis (almost)

Short ride to Meduno and then up toward Monte Valinis.  Just after the beginning of the climb a man pointed in the direction I'd come from and teased 'that way it's all downhill for 30 meters.'  Nice workout up to 800 meters or so but then it got too icy where the snow melts and refreezes everyday.  A man was blocking the road with his tractor towing a long beech tree so it seemed like a good time to turn around.  Nice descent and flattish ride home.

12% gradient ice rink at 830 meters

Monte Valinis 2012

Another favorite nearby climb today- from Meduno up to Monte Valinis.  After a quick warm up ride to Meduno I rode up the switchbacks through a couple of small borghi to Forchia Meduno at 650 meters.  I was quite hot by now, despite being in short sleeves.  The 1.5km false-flat through dense spruce forest to Forchia Piccola cooled me off a little too much.  Luckily I immediately started a 3 km ascent at 10% gradient to Valinis- that heated me back up despite the coolness.  The asphalt ends at 940 meters, but I continued on the gravel road to 1000 meters, where the parapendio launch.  There was a mini-bus from  Germany and at least 10 parapendi swooping around the cliffs and the grassy summit.  I quickly donned my windjacket and descended to escape the cold.  Excellent ride! 

Parapendio returning to strafe the launch area

4 or 5 parapendi riding thermals along the cliffs here

Monte Cavallo (2250m) and other peaks to the west

Monte Raut (2025m)

Monte Rest (1780m) to north

Monte Verzegnis (1914m) to northeast

Buon Natale Monte Valinis

Brisk, clear Christmas morning with no cars on the road.  I warmed up through Meduno and started the climb.  Steep switchbacks to Borgo San Martino then the grade eases a bit, passing through forest and meadows to Forchia Meduno.  A flat-to-easy gradient through Spruce forest to Forchia Piccola, then constant 10% for the next 3km.  From end of the dirt road (997m) you can see the sun reflecting off the Adriatic Sea to the south, and snowy peaks to the west and north.  Quite windy up here, but the bright sun makes it seem warm.  Just being up here is the best gift one could ever receive.      

Monte Cavallo (2250m) and mountains to the west

Monte Raut (2025m)  to northwest

Looking north at Monte Rest (1780m)

North-northeast Monte Valcalda (1908m)

To northeast, Monte Verzegnis (1914m) and Monte Piombada (1744m)

Pala Barzana - Monte Valinis - Orton

Today instead of a big climb far away I tried a series of local climbs.  

The first is Pala Barzana (842m).  I rode from home to Montereale, up through the tunnels and into a fog bank near the turnoff for Andreis.  It had been clear and sunny only moments before at Montereale and Lago Ravedis.  Ascended along Torrente Alba, which was surprisingly full of white water from all the rain.  Usually this time of year most streams are reduced to a trickle.  I continued climbing through Bosplans, and finally around 700m the sun burnt through the fog.  Through the trees I could see a sea of fog in the valley below.  Topping the pass, I headed down the twisty curves through beautiful spruce forest.  This wonderful area is only minutes by car from home.

Eventually I reached Poffabro, then descended down Val Muié, through Navarons to Torrente Meduna.  I climbed out of the gorge and rode the rolling hills to Meduno (320m).  Here starts the second climb, up to Monte Valinis at 970 meters. 

This is a great climb, starting with switchbacks up to Borgo del Bianco, then ascending along lovely open meadows, finally reaching the ridge at 630m.  After a bit, you turn upward through a dense stand of tall spruce trees, like columns in a cathedral.  Sunlight filtering through the boughs high above, like shafts of light through stained-glass completes the effect.  This section of the climb is steep- gaining 250 meters in 2.5 km.  Higher up it eases somewhat, till end of pavement at Forchia Tamer (940m).  Passing through the cow gate you can continue up a rough gravel road to the edge of the precipice where parapendio gliders leap off.  Colorful wildflowers and butterflies cover the alpine meadows.  

I descended to the ridge line, and then turned right toward Campone.  This is a terrible descent with loose pavement, rocks, very steep.  But the views are great, and you soon reach the bottom, joining the main road through Campone (430m).  It's a pretty town at the base of Monte Celant, stretching along Torrente Chiarzó.  At the end of town starts another little climb, up to Piani di Clauzetto (675m).  It's not too steep, with lots of stream crossings.

From the Piani you descend to Pradis di Sotto (528m, big cave here) and then begins the last climb of the day, Orton, with high point just outside of town at Cristo (723m).  This is a scenic road through meadows, then a large stand of thick-trunked beech trees.  Rough descent to Clauzetto, then great twisties down Val Cosa to Travesio.

More or less flat from here to Sequals, Arba, Campagna, and home.  I messed up and corrupted the file while downloading from my Garmin, but I remember seeing it was 104 km in about 6 hours, with 1950 meters of climbing.  

Monte Raut from Borgo del Bianco, above Meduno

Close up Monte Raut above Poffabro

Over the pass at Pala Barzana- the bigger mountains west
of Val Cellina

Torrente Meduna near Cavasso Nuovo

View northeast from Monte Valinis

Monte Celant 1093m

Monte Pala 1226m

View of meadows Monte Valinis