Milies, Mariech, Posa Puner MTB

I've dreamed of this mountain bike ride for months:  ascending the massif of Monte Cesen from west or north, then crossing the mountain top to descend the south side.  I decide to try ascending a new route from Segusino, ride to Rifugio Mariech, take the trail to Posa Puner and descend via Madean.

I parked at Maine and warmed up climbing to Combai.  Then down to Valdobbiadene, north along the Piave River to Segusino, and the climbing begins.  This is a pretty tough little climb: in 7 km you gain 574 meters, averaging 8%. Maybe I was just rusty from lack of riding.  Pavement ends at 770 meters a little past Milies but I continued on the gravel road, climbing another 4 km averaging 10.7%, with stretches of 21% to Malga Molvina, 1206 meters.

This was a killer, but I did get a little break when I reached Forcella and couldn't figure out which way to go.  The map I'd printed of this section was missing from my backpack (later found it stuck to the back of my other map- apparently I was too knackered to figure that out on the climb).  So I picked the right fork, which was very hard climbing but not as long as I expected, leveling out at 1200 meters instead of 1500.  Too tired  to reverse my course, I decided to keep on going to see where it went.  Beautiful views of the prosecco vineyards below as it hugged the mountainside.  Amazingly it soon arrived at a paved road.  The only one I knew of around here is Valdobbiadene to Rifugio Mariech, so I turned left and headed up the hill.

At 1500 meters I reached the rifugio, socked in with fog, and found the dirt road toward Posa Puner through a pasture full of horses and cows.  This road was great until I reached Casera Forconetta (1393 meters).  They had signs marked Posa Puner which I followed but the road soon turned to a cow track through the woods with no signs.  With all the rain the cows' hooves had sunk up to their ankles, leaving a mire of mud, cow manure, and lucky for me, a raft of freshly fallen leaves.  As long as I stayed on this thick layer of leaves I didn't sink.  This "trail" descends to a little valley and finally reaches a little gravel road ascending upward to Casera Federa (1330 meters).  Now the road becomes wide and gravelled, climbing up to 1383 meters on the flank of Monte Cimon.  Beautiful views here of Dolomiti Bellunesi, Col Visentin, Monte Pizzoc, Monte Cavallo, Laghi Revine, the prosecco vineyards, Piave River, and Il Montello.  Also hang gliders zooming around a few hundred meters below.

I descended to Rifugio Posa Puner, continued down to Casera Budoi, and then the twisty forested curves of Madean to Combai.  Combai was now packed with visitors for the chestnut festival.  Great ride- now my legs feel like lead.

Monte Miliana (1270m)

Monte Vallina (1067)

Milies, cloud covered Piave valley, and
Monte Grappa massif in the distance

Casera Federa on the trail from Mariech to Posa Puner

Rifugio Posa Puner, with Dolomiti Bellunesi in background 

Along the Monte Cesen massif toward
Col Visentin and Monte Pizzoc 

Prosecco vineyards

Piave River valley

Montefosca

I climbed Montefosca from Val del Natisone in 2011 but always wanted to return and climb from Fraccadice (near the Slovenian border) to the 872 meter pass above Montefosca.  Today the rain stopped so I jumped at the chance.

From the car park at Ponte di San Quirino I rode the back roads to northern Cividale (making only one wrong turn up to Il Castello restaurant, a dead end).   Then I headed north on the main road to Faedis, turned right and began climbing toward Canebola and Bocchetta di Sant'Antonio.   I quickly overheated and stripped down to bike shorts and my thin windjacket with no jersey (I'd brought only a thick long sleeve jersey).  This is a beautiful wide road with switchbacks and ramps climbing the gorge of Torrente Grivò.  After Canebola you climb a bit more until the crossroads at Bocchetta di Sant'Antonio (800 meters).  From this little chapel in the middle of nowhere you can go to Madonnina del Domm, Porsuz or Subit, or my choice today, Montefosca.  The road descends through forest and pasture to 650 meters at Piano di Fraccadice, on the Slovenian border.

Here the fun begins- a couple of chilometers averaging 10% with stretches of 16%.  The road surface seemed much better than I remember when descending it- maybe they've roughly paved it since then.  The surroundings are peaceful meadows and forest until after the steepest part, when it rises and falls and curves until the pass.  There were a group of hunters here with beautiful dogs and shot guns.  I made sure it was ok to continue so I didn't get mistaken for a deer (though I think they were hunting birds).  You descend steeply and twistily to Montefosca, a hillside town with a beautiful view of Val Natisone and surrounding mountains.  After a wonderful false flat along the ridge for several chilometers you dive down through the forest to Pulfero on the Natisone, then back to the car.  Great ride. 

Bocchetta di Sant'Antonio (800m)

Piano di Fraccadice: turn right for the climb to Montefosca
or go straight a few hundred meters to Slovenia

Hillside town Montefosca looking up Val Natisone to Slovenia

Dente di cane

More dente di cane

Casera Mason il Vecchio MTB

After a busy, rainy week finally a chance to ride.  I mountain biked down Via Pedemontane to the turn for Sarone and headed up.  The sun was quite warm, felt great.  Shortly after the road from Villa di Villa joins the main road to Il Cansiglio, I took a right turn marked Casello della Guardia.  Beautiful paved lane ascending through beech forest.  It turns to dirt below Casello della Guardia: here go straight, avoiding the right turn to Malga Fossa di Sarone.  The road climbs, passing a left turnoff marked Casera Busabella- I'll try that another time.  You descend, climb some more to another left marked Rifugio Maset, another future exploration.

The forest opened up and the sun beamed down on me.  I crossed some rolling grassland and reached Malga Col dei Scios, a working cheese making farm which is open until winter, I guess.  From here I continued until I reached a barred, unmarked turnoff to the left in a beech grove.  From the map I figured this was the road to Casera Mason il Vecchio, a pretty forest house in the woods not far from Casera Ceresera.  Now I returned to the main road leading to Val Fritz and Piancavallo.  The skies above the ridge were deep blue, but I looked down and saw the top of a layer of overcast covering the  plains.  Soon I was descending through it, cold from the water vapor and windchill of riding.  I rode down through Bornass and tiptoed around the washed out road by the stream.  Jumped in a hot tub to thaw when I arrived home.  Fun ride!

Turn off main road right here (1000m)

Continue straight, don't turn right (1063m)

Don't turn here- saving Casera Busabella for next time

Don't turn here to Rifugio Maset- next time? (1250m)

Malga Col dei Scios- buy cheese here! (1330m)

Rolling grassland near Col dei Scios

Unmarked left turn to Casera Mason il Vecchio (1300m) 

 Casera Mason il Vecchio (1343m)

Looking down at the overcast below, near Val Friz (1560m) 

Monte Sauc (1645m) above Casera Campo

Cinque Torri

I'd always thought Cinque Torri above Cortina was reachable only by chair lift or hiking.  Then I saw an article about some tourists riding a bike up it so I had to go investigate.  I drove to Cortina very early then hopped on the road bike just as the sun was peeking above the mountains.  It was cold at 1200 meters but leg warmers and a wind jacket combined with the exertion of climbing kept me from freezing. 

I ascended toward Passo Falzarego on the nearly deserted main highway.  What a difference from July-August,when the road is covered with diesel-belching motorhomes and tour buses almost too long to clear the switchbacks.  Soon I was up in the bright morning sun and I passed the turn  off for Passo Giau at Pecol.  A bit further up at 1724 meters I reached the left turn for Cinque Torri.

It's a narrow mountain lane, with barely room for the occasional car to pass a bike riding on the edge.  After dipping down to Rio Falzarego and a brief flat spot, you reach the climb.  This is one of the toughest little roads I've done: in the next 4 km you rise 412 meters.  No big deal you say, it averages 10%, but it does it with a relentless series of 15-18% grapplings, with brief dips down to mere 8-9% in between.  A had to stop and hyperventilate at least 4 times.  No matter how hard I inhaled-exhaled I couldn't seem to get enough oxygen to power my legs.  Once I stopped and got my gasping under control I could restart and pedal another 300-400 meters distance.  Finally made it to Rifugio Cinque Torri at 2137 meters and stopped to take some pictures.  A minivan full of French folks arrived, donned their gear and headed toward Torre Grande to do some climbing.  

I enjoyed the steep descent (pavement is good but watch for loose pebbles on the centerline) and the lovely switchbacks back down to Cortina.  This will be be a new benchmark for me to retry now and then.  Maybe next year I'll be able to cruise up non-stop.

Morning sun peeping into Cortina altopiano

Sun beaming through a notch in peak above Cortina

Turn left here for Cinque Torri

Tofana Group peaks

Tofana di Rozes (3225m)

Tofana di Rozes from higher up

Torre Grande

Alpine meadows toward il Giau

Monte Averau (2649m)

Planina Zaprikraj MTB

A couple of years ago I reached the summit of Kolovrat and ogled the luscious Soča  River valley.  I noticed a beautiful church half way up a mountain above Kobarid and always have wanted to go visit.  Today was my chance.

I drove to Ponte San Quirino in Val Natisone and biked across the Slovenian border to Kobarid.  Immediately after you cross the Soča on Ponte di Napoleone turn left and head up hill.  This is a wide smooth road with well-engineered switchbacks for an easy gradient.  At 530 meters you reach the little town of Drežnica with its spectacular church, Sacro Cuore.  Somehow this escaped the artillery bombardments from both sides during World War I.  After crossing a forested ridge you enter a gorgeous grassy meadowland surrounding the village Drežniške Ravne around 600 meters.   Take a right onto the road marked Planina Predolina.

This is a narrow paved road and quite steep.  It reminded me of the road from cimitero di Mezzomonte to Col de Palse.  The difference being the pavement here ends at 700-800 meters, and you're climbing a dirt road.  Not too bad because any time the gradient gets up over 10% they've concreted the road so you have few traction problems.  When I say over 10% sometimes it's way over, like 16-17%.  I stayed seated on almost all of this thanks to the easy mountain bike gearing.

Finally around 1100 meters the dirt road levels out some.  You cross through a gate, then cruise downhill over a cattle grate near a farm.  A hiking path to the left goes to Krasji Vhr, 1773 meters.  The right road goes up and to the left above the farm, through a gate, then continues to Planina Zaprikraj around 1250 meters, and further down to Planina Predolina at 1190 meters. These are meadowy areas with many World War I ruins.  I saw a tunnel entrance and some very cool trench type fortifications.  They were a bit dark for my camera so please look at the professional pics at http://www.potimiruvposocju.si .

The ride back downhill was quite fun.  Disc brakes are excellent- maybe I'll get them on my next road bike (in the year 2020).  Kobarid was pretty crowded with tourists now but I eventually made it through there.  Then a good "cool down" on the road back through Val Natisone.  I want to return here soon and try some variations of this ride.

Sacro Cuore at Drežnica 

Close-up Sacro Cuore

Hay drying rack at Drežniške Ravne

Meadows around Drežniške Ravne

Looking back at  some of th grasslands I crossed on the climb,
with mountains across Soča River in background

Adorable baby asino at 1000 meters 

Friendly dark chocolate horse sharing her paddock with asini

High up the slope a flock of grazing sheep

The farm on the way to Planina Zaprikraj

Monte Krn (2244m) above on the right

Planina Predolina, with Monte Javoršček (1557m)

Cappelletto with musical staff showing the tune to the hymn

Casera Ceresera MTB

The ridge connecting Piancavallo and Il Cansiglio has several different trail routes.  Today I tried the trail to Candaglia via Casera Ceresera.

After climbing from Costa to Bornass I continued on the main road to Piancavallo.  Here I turned toward Sauc.  They've repaved the road and it's super smooth- big improvement.  Above Casera Campo the pavement ends and you continue on gravel.  It tops out just after Casera Valle Fritz at 1538 meters.  Shortly afterward you arrive at a side road to your right with a barrier.  I ducked under that and headed uphill.  The trail is basically two parallel tire tracks with tall grass.  Very pretty scenery with rolling rocky grassy knolls soon giving way to forest.  Karst stone outcrops everywhere with strange eroded shapes.

Eventually the road ends up in Il Cansiglio and descends along a mountainside covered with big trees.  The cloudy skies, shady forest, and coasting downhill soon have me freezing so I stop to put on my leg warmers.  Much better now and soon the stone house at Casera Ceresera comes into view.  You reach an information sign with map and turn right toward Motore Alpino which appears to be an old incline plane with winch.  There's a sign for Candaglia, but it turns out it's only a narrow foot trail traversing a steep slope.   I walked the bike on this because the steepness and narrowness were beyond my MTB skills.  A better rider might have no problem.  After a chilometer it joins the road to Candaglia and in a moment you arrive at the Casa Forestale.  Take the paved road to the right, and at the first switchback avoid the dirt road to Val Bona (and Val Menera), staying on the paved road.  Soon you reach the junction with a gravel road to your left marked La Crosetta.  This is a fantastic road, almost level (slightly descending), with smooth hard-packed surface and no big rocks or gullies.  It is immersed in a forest of big beech trees and spruce, sloping down toward Piancansiglio.  One hikers' picnic area had a sign marked Paradise and I had to agree.

Soon you reach the paved main road which carries you down the mountain to Sarone.  From there a good climb home on Via Pedemontane.  

Just past Casera Valle Fritz turn right

Looking back at the beautiful terrain traversed

Apparently I was riding through the forest on Trail 7 

The forest road descending toward Casera Ceresera

Casera Ceresera- head toward the right

I had to walk this, maybe you can ride it

Below Candaglia the turnoff for the wonderful road to La Crosetta