Tesis Loop

A flat easy ride today, hoping to nurse my right hip flexor back to health.  Our wonderful Indian summer is coming to an end, though I still overheated on the gradual upgrade on the return leg so I stripped off my tights and jacket.  Nice recovery ride.

Osservatorio Ciaerlac

After riding to Meduno I took the little roads along the base of Monte Ciaerlac to the hang glider landing strip near Toppo.  After the castle and the blast furnace take the little road uphill toward La Genziana restaurant.  The road gets steep and eventually even steeper.  The worst are the last few hundred meters up to Osservatorio Ciaerlac.  Nice views from here.

On the way down note the Lama farm with two big white Pastore dogs on your left.  Lovely ride.

Parapendio over Castello di Toppo

Parapendio landing strip

Monte Ciaerlac northeast of castello

Toppo campanile

Blast furnace near Toppo

Monte Ragogna and Fiume Tagliamento from
osservatorio

Monte Pala above osservatorio

Monte Rossa

Monte Ciaerlac

The climb

La Pussa MTB

A long MTB ride through Barcis, Claut and the beautiful road along Torrente Settimana.  I left too late for my intended destination, Casera Senons, so I took some photos at La Pussa and headed home.    At the junction with the road for Cimolais my slow-leaking front tire suddenly went flat.  Pumped it up and continued toward home.  Had to reinflate it a few more times along the way but finally made it.  Will try Senons again soon.

La Pussa

Torrente Settimana climb

Lago del Ciul Hike

I last tried this hike in 2013 but ran out of time after only reaching Frassaneit, a ghost town.  Today instead I continued to the dam at Lago del Ciul.  It’s quite empty in Autumn so I’ll have to return in Spring someday. I continued along the shoreline looking for a bridge on the map but never found it.  So I turned around and headed home.  This is a lovely walk with easy access from Tramonti di Sopra.

Chiesetta Tramonti di Sopra

Waterfall shortly after start of hike

Pozze Smeraldine in
Torrente Meduna

Acquila di Frascola

Deserted village Frassaneit

Diga Ca' Ciul

I turned around here after walking
a bit of the shoreline 

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Monte Pizzoc

A nearby climb that seems easy and familiar at the start then keeps shoveling  more and more ramps at you.  I was on Maxima, my lightest bike, but still my right leg-front attach point was aching from the effort.  I tried to use more left leg to compensate.

At the top it was fogged in but a hole opened  up long enough for a picture.  The ride down was long and cold but I warmed back up on the way home.  Very tired now.

Sudden hole in the fog

A long climb

Panaramica Cansiglio-Piancavallo da Coltura

A beautiful clear cool day for my favorite local climb.  I warmed up riding to Coltura then headed upward.  At Mezzomonte cemetery turn left and begin riding the long steep climb.  The final km are the steepest so you must conserve energy along the way.  Finally you reach the panaramica, but after a brief chance to catch your breath the gradient continues a long steady climb to 1500 meters.
After dipping down to Valle Friz you rise again to 1500 meters below Monte Candole then begin the long descent to Piancavallo and home.  I got off the bike completely knackered.

Torrente Artugna flowing through Dardago 

Headland of Monte Candole to the east

Costa Lunga

Look back at the high point of the road at I Fanghi 

Val Grande

Fiume Veneto Chocolate Run

Cloudy and chilly this morning so I opted for a longish flat ride.  I was nearly out (!) of 99% Lindt chocolate and the long way round avoiding the Meduna bridge was a perfect choice.  The skies even cleared and temps warmed slightly.  Good light day workout.

Cao Malnisio MTB

2 km from home in Malnisio I noticed a sign for Chiesa Alpini and headed up hill.  It’s paved but very steep even on a MTB.  At end of pavement there is a flatter fork to the left and very steep gravel to the right.  I pushed the bike up this for quite awhile and eventually it became single track, climbing ever more.  Decided to return and hike this another day.  I rolled back down very gingerly and arrived at the untaken fork.  Soon you reach an outdoor church in a grassy glade.  Very moving statue of a weary Alpino here.  I will return soon.

Lotus blossom floating in fountain

The weary Alpino

Cold wind blowing his overcoat

The altar piece

His worn out boots

Rifle sling

Eyes almost frozen shut from the frigid wind

Cao Malnisio

Eyes sweeping northeast

The climb

Praderadego da Gus

From Vittorio Veneto I rode to Tovena and up the switchbacks to Passo di San Boldo.   From there some saliscendi  eventually joining the main highway toward Mel and finally the turnoff for Gus.    Immediately begin climbing to Carve.  Here I missed a turn and unintentionally completed another climb, the steep grapple to Zealant at 770 meters. Some great gravel roads up here to explore on MTB.

I turned around and rolled back down to Carve, found the correct road and began the pass climb from Valmaor at 480 meters.  This is a beautiful remote climb with varying gradients up to 16%.  At the pass (915 meters) there a few buildings with visitors in summer.  The descent is similarly irregular, ending below Castelbrando and the road back to Vittorio Veneto.  Great workout in spectacular scenery.

Dolomiti Bellunese from Passo San Baldo descent

Dolomiti from near Zealant

Cliffs on descent from Passo Praderadego

Rujal de San Tome

Another in the series "Rides right under my nose that I've never explored."  This one starts west of the CRO hospital on Via Pedemontane Occidentale.  Turn right onto gravel road marked Deltaplano, a hang glider landing spot.  Continue through the woods to the rocky banks of Torrente Artugna (dry this time of year).  A nice gravel road for cars ends here with some signs explaining the place.  Bike or hike up the hill to the old mill house and water wheel.  You can continue for several km along the the little stone-lined canal which powers the mill.  Eventually it switches to a large boulder scramble in the direction of Chiesa San Tome.  Instead I turned around and rode back down.

On the way back I took a different route through the forest on some excellent gravel roads.  It ended right by the CRO, so I'll try that route in the opposite direction next time.  Great ride!

Old mill house

New mill wheel

Sluice

Stone-lined  canal 

Boulders of Torrente Artugna

Beginning of Crode di San Tome cliffs;
later they are hundred meters high