Monte Grappa from Romano d'Ezzelino

Of the 9 or 10 routes I've tried up Monte Grappa I think this might be the least painful.  There's still pain of course but slightly less.  There's even a couple of flattish km after the the starting 12km of continual steepness.  It's short-lived though and soon you're grinding again.  Not complaining though, it was worth the effort just to escape the heat wave down on the plains.  Nice and fresh up here.  

At the summit fog was roiling up and over the slopes.  It wasn't too bad as you can see from the photo.  The descent was absolutely glorious, didn't even feel arthritis using the Viner's rim brakes.  
Will have to try this again next year.

Small memorial near summit

Monte Coston area on descent

Long climb

Madean-Pianezze-Rifigio Mareich

I needed to test my new front wheel when braking hard so I headed toward Valdobbiadene.  After parking at Follina I warmed up on the climb to Combai then turned onto Via Madean.  This is a great climb through dense forest, good on a hot day.  At the top it opens up to the beating sun, and you start a rolling traverse  to Pianezze.

Here you start the second climb of the day to Rifugio Mareich, which is less shaded but cooler at altitude.  At end of pavement I turned around and headed back.  Fun descent but long.

Campagnolo Khamsin wheel passed the
Madean descent torture test

Monte Dolada

Monte Dolada is a classic: 10 km averaging 10% gradient, engulfed in grassy alpine meadows and beech forest, above Lago di Santa Croce.  

Perfect.

Lakeside view of Dolada (on left) and companions

At end of climb the trees have an epiphyte
similar to Spanish Moss. Deer seem to love it.

View from hang glider launch of Alpago conch valley

Lago di Santa Croche from Pieve d'Alpago

The climb

Col Spizzat Loop Hike

Back in winter I snowshoed in this area near Piancavallo but turned back downhill before reaching  Col Spizzat.  Today I continued up to the ridgeline and on down the other side.  A gravel road and then rocky trail soon rejoined the gravel road to Col Alto, making an easy two-hour loop.  You could also substitute the gravel road to Casera Valfredda and MTB the loop except for a few hundred meters of very rough trail below Col Spizzat.  Really wonderful area.

Toward Monte Cavallo Gruppo

Panning to the east

The descent to trailhead for Forcella di Giais

Monte Castelat

Monte Cavallo Gruppo

View back down  to the valley

Casera Valfredda in the distance

Monte Valinis - Monte Prat Loop

Wonderful weather today for a series of climbs.  I warmed up on the road to Meduno where I turned sharply upward toward Monte Valinis.  This is a favorite climb up to 1000 meters, shady and steep.  At the top the usual dozen or so hang gliders had multiplied to (I'm guessing) 80?  Not enough room up here for such a big crowd IMO, but they seemed happy.  At some point safety might be compromised with all this air traffic.

Peaceful ride down the hill to Campone, and then the climb up to Piani di Clauzetto.  Then you descend again to the karst caves of Pradis di Sotto, and immediately head upward toward Pradis di Sopra.  Just before the village head downward again, past the WW 1 cemetery to Forno, slightly uphill and finally down to Pielungo.

Turn left on the main road, cross the bridge and shortly you arrive at Via Zupeit.  This is a moderate but long climb through the forest to Monte Prat.   Very remote feeling in this area, heavenly peaceful.

At Monte Prat you zoom down the tornanti to Forgaria, then Pinzano and refill your borraccia for the long, unshaded ride home.  This area to our northeast is rich with climbs like these: you can mix and match them into infinite combinations.        

Frisanco, Poffabro, Monte Raut

Navarons

View south from Monte Valinis

A small fraction of the hoarde preparing to leap off the cliff 

Peaceful Campone 

Monte Rossa where I MTB'ed the other day

Monte Cuar

Val Tochel, where Via Zupeit climb ends

Monte Valinis

Via Zupeit

Panaramica Cansiglio Piancavallo MTB

My favorite local climb, today with a variation at the start.  Instead of climbing from Coltura I MTB'ed from Dardago up to Mezzomonte on dirt roads.  Then from Mezzomonte cemetery  up to to the panaramica on asphalt, and on up to I Fanghi at 1526 meters.  I returned home via Sauc and Madonna della Monte.  The extra weight of the MTB versus the lower gear ratio seems to cancel each other out.  I'll try Maxima next time to confirm.

Coltura from the climb

Castaldia from 1500 meters

Monte Cavallo Gruppo 

The climb

Sentiero delle Piaie Longhe Milifret - Strada del Taffarel MTB

Fun ride in one of the prettiest places I know: Il Cansiglio.  I parked at Villa di Villa and climbed Strada dei Patriarchi up through the forest to La Crosetta and onward to Monte Pizzoc.  Finally off-road now, I rode along the ridgeline to Monte Milifret, carried the bike over the craggy bits and soon began the long muddy descent toward Mezzomiglio.  Much of the time I pushed the bike over rock formations,  treefalls, and around deep mud wallows.  Then suddenly the shady forest ends and you’re in wide open rolling grassland: Altopiano Mezzomiglio, cowbells ringing, the wide-open panorama of Col Visentin.

I was a little worried about looming thunderheads so I took the muddy short cut  across the ridge and down to Strada del Taffarel.  Hard to describe how wonderful this gravel road is, for miles wandering through faggio forest, following the contours of  steep slopes.  It joins the road from Pizzoc just above Cadolten, then descends to La Crosetta.  At this moment the clouds burst and I took cover under the eves of a building.  I donned my descending jacket and armwarmers, waited awhile and headed out.  Cold with the rain and windchill but I survived and eventually reached warmer air at lower elevation.  Thawed on the drive home, wet, tired and hungry.

Monte Pizzoc

Monte Milifret

The forest ends and suddenly Col Visentin comes into view

Beautiful altopiano Mezzomiglio

Annello del Colle di Grizzo e Malnisio

Fun local MTB ride.  I warmed up on the bike path to Montereale then doubled back to a red-pavement path which leads to the actual trail where I began to climb.  Quite fun doing all (or most) of the saliscendi and curves.  It ends near the asilo in Grizzo.  I turned around and did it in the opposite direction, also fun.  Great weather, not too hot and pretty clear.

Malnisio hydropower plant with tunnels from Lago di Barcis

Malnisio looking toward Giais

Pala d'Altei above Malnisio

Monte Fara with Monte Raut in background

Monte Jouf

Little capelle by the road

Sunflower field below Pala Fontana

Fun little ride