Monte Tomatico MTB

Monte Tomatico is a monumental climb but less well known and less crowded than others.
I tried it last year on my lightest road bike and ended up walking the steepest stretches.  So today I took the MTB and things went better.  Still wanted badly to stop and rest or walk at times but I resisted the temptation.  After the hardest bits I knew I could finish, nothing could stop me now.

Then in the distance I heard a loudspeaker, maybe a reunion or something.  It grew closer and I recognized a prayer, then I scaled another corkscrew and arrived at mass, right in the middle of the road.  The priest was on a little knoll with a tree trunk.  I stopped and waited until end of the service, trying not to disturb anyone.  Everyone stayed and chatted awhile then one of the alpini asked if I wanted to pass and I weaved through the group on foot, then remounted.   The steepness resumed immediately, as bad as ever until finally pavement ends and you begin climbing less steeply on gravel.

I reached the cattle gate where I had turned around last year and continued on up another half km or so, then headed back down.  Much more fun descending on MTB.  Near the bottom I encountered the first other bikers, 3 MTBers.  Will try this again next year and try descending on the other side.

View west from near the top

Southwest toward Fiume Brenta 

The tree shrine where priest held mass

Closer view

Challenging

Zoncolan da Sutrio MTB

I intended to climb from Sutrio to Ravescletto, then up to Zoufplan and down through Pian delle Streghe.  Alas, I was a bit sleepy and rode up toward Zoncolan by mistake.  By the time I realized it I was already enjoying the climb so I went with the flow.  At the ski area parking I looked for a MTB trail down to Ravescletto but no luck.  I headed upward.

The upper climb is tougher but not bad on a MTB.  At the pass a large American tour group was hollering and whooping as riders strugled up the harder west side.  I rode higher up and took some fotos.  Fun descent and drive home.  Will try Zoufplan again soon.

Zoufplan, the high ridge I intended to climb 

Views west from the gravel road above the pass at Zoncolan 

The climb,with a bit of flat exploring
 at the skier parking area

Percorso Circolare Santuario MTB

Another newly discovered ride right out our backdoor.  Just after Costa turn right on gravel road, continue to bridge, cross and turn right.  Follow the PCS orange markers.  Don’t follow my example of heading up the steep ride to the rocky trail with numerous jumps; even downhill I would have been walking around these big air jumps.  As it was I pushed/pulled the bike for maybe a km, exhausted. Eventually it moderated and soon joined the paved road for Bornass.  After a brief easy climb I reached the Ornedo bike club marker and turned onto the trail. Before long you join a gravel road and the PCS markers resume.

This was the best part of the ride, nice gradients through the woods eventually leading to the grassy knob of Chiesa San Giorgio and the stone ruins of an abandoned settlement.  Then a fun descent down to the aforementioned bridge and home.  Will try the proper 11 km PCS loop next time.

Santuario Madonna del Monte

Ornedo bike club trails map

A grassy knoll (signed No MTB)

Alpini hiking trail (slitte were big hay sleds)

PCS trail sign

Beautiful grassy meadow

Santuario from near San Giorgio

Costa and Marsure

Many olive trees around San Giorgio

Chiesa San Giorgio

Col Alt MTB

A favorite local climb from Sarmede to Col Alt war memorial.   I made it without stopping, but needed 24-36 gear to do it.   On the way back down I looked for yet another pair of lost glasses, these lost in May.  No luck but still a lovely outing. 

Pizzoc in the clouds

View from memorial with Fiume Meschio on left

This thunderhead was worrisome but no rain

Hard climb

Pianezze + Rifugio Mariech

This climb is the twin of Madean-Rifugio Mareich from a couple of weeks ago.  Not identical twins though:  the road from Valdobbiadene to Pianezze is a wide well-paved highway up to a ski resort, similar to Via Piancavallo.  But they share the road continuing up to Rifugio Mareich.  Normally you would descend on the better road but today I traversed over to Casera Budoi, then down to Madean in search of my lost pair of glasses.  No luck though.  Still a very fun ride.  

View north from Rifugio Mareich

Wildflowers, rolling grassland

Piave River meandering toward the Adriatic

Monte Grappa 

Forcella di Giais MTB/Hike

A hike I've never climbed, right above our village.  First I MTB'ed to the Gravon, a gravelly stack of switchbacks.  Then I locked the bike to a tree and walked to the trailhead.  Nice and shady up this very steep connector trail.  You emerge into the sun and connect to a sharp ridge ascending from Marsure, Sentiero Costa Longa.  This takes you steeply up through grassy slopes to Forcella di Giais.  No one here but a herd of goats and sheep and some shepherds.

I hiked up to a narrow notch  with 360 degree views but couldn't see the trail down.  So I decided I'd hike over Pala Fontana and then down.  Luckily I saw a sign for Casera di Giais via the easy traverse trail.  This has some beautiful hidden forest patches along the way, quite nice walking.

At the Casera Iturned downhill on the same trail as last week.  Happy to find my knees didn't hurt this time.  Maybe I'm healing.  When you reach the trail for Baitala Polo don't take it, continue on the trail toward Casera Palussa, following the terrain and entering shady woods.  At the casera continue downward through woods until you arrive at the Gravon.  Found my bike and coasted home.  Fun!

Sentiero Costa Longa

East toward Monte di Mezzo

Montereale, Maniago

To the west

Alter at Forcella di Giais

Forcella di Giais with Monte Cavallo Gruppo

Goats and sheep grazing here

View west

East toward Cellina River

Looking back at Gravon

Pala Fontana Summit

To the east

Local trails map

Casera Palussa

The climb

Casera Cruden

I haven’t been back to this climb in 6 or 7 years.  Not sure why because it’s stunning scenery and the effort to reach the top is epic.  This time I drove to Puos d’Alpago then MTB’ed up through  Lamosano and Irrighe.

Here the climb switches  from steep to heart-exploding.  I finally gave up the ghost at a restaurant where a logging truck was inching down the grade.  After it passed I restarted and climbed up past Casera Cruden.  Shortly after the pavement steepened yet more I gave up pedaling and just pushed.  This continued until some loggers were loading logs in the middle of the trail.  They very kindly offerred to let me pass but I told them I was finished.

Now I coasted down almost to  Casera Cruden and turned onto  Sentiero Alpago.  Fun MTBing finally, fast saliscendi down to Pian Formosa, then back onto pavement and a great descent back to Puos.  Must return!

Trail toward  Casera Cruden

Near Pian Formosa

Monte Dolada from western Alpago

The main climb