Forcella di Crous MTB

I pass Ravedis dozens of times per year but somehow have never ridden the trail that starts there.  The trail is very good for hiking and would be fun to descend on MTB but it’s difficult to ride up.  So I pushed much of the way.  Things improved a bit after Chiesa di San Antonio as the trail widened through Val di San Antonio.  Forcella di Crous seemed familiar; I think Teddi, Honey and I passed through here on the hike from Pala Barzana to Monte Fara.

Now I began descending, soon steeply, to the paved road from Malga Fara, and then the road to Bosplan.  Shortly I found a concrete road descending to the left.  It was great fun, meandering through the forest, climbing and descending.  Eventually it joins the main road to Andreis, a sign designating it as Sacon trekking path.  From here through the long tunnel and home.

Trailhead at Ravedis

Monte Spia

Diga di Ravedis

Cliffs of Monte Fara

Chiesa di San Antonio

Forcella di Crous

Bosplans below Dolomiti

Strada degli Alpini MTB

I rode up Valcellina to Claut then crossed the river at Matan.  Here starts the tough gravel climb to Casera Resettum at 1462 meters.  Descend briefly to the junction with the trail for Casera Colciavas and ride the rough road to 1513 meters.  Follow the sign toward  Forcella Clautana, down the swichbacks to 1432 meters.  Now descend on Strada degli Alpini, a beautiful military road from WW I.  There are a few washed out rocky sections and tree falls,  but even I was able to ride much of it downhill.  Eventually you reach the abandoned dwellings of Tranconere, cross Torrente Silisea, and ascend the gravel road to Panuch.  From there down to the dam Lago Ca’Selva, to Meduno and home.

I owe this ride to Erminio, a MTBer I met riding up Pala Barzana 6 or 7 years ago.  He recomended the climb to me and after 3 or 4 tentative attempts I finally made it.

Forcella Clautana marker

Northwest of forcella

The way down

Yellow cascading blossoms along the trail

Strada degli Alpini toward Lago Ca'Selva

Loose gravel most of the way

Sauc MTB

Above Dardago the paved road comes to an end and a gravel road continues the ascent.  This is Strada Venezia delle Neve, a 1960's ski resort developer's abandoned route to Piancavallo.  Today was the first time I've ridden it without long stretches pushing the bike.  There were a couple of rock piles I had to hop off for but otherwise I rode the whole thing.  The trail eventually ends up in a beautiful area of grassy pastures bounded by forest and rockfaces: Sauc.  I will try exploring from the top soon so I can concentrate on the surroundings rather than the climb.  Wonderful wilderness ride.

Croda di San Tome

Way harder on loose rock than the
numbers indicate.

Cadolten MTB

Cadolten is another of the long hard climbs from the pedemontana to the Cansiglio-Piancavallo mountain ridge.  It's best attempted on a MTB, though I managed it once on Legend Fedaia.  You warm up riding to Sarmede or Fregona, then head briefly up the main road toward La Crosetta.  Soon you turn off at Via Praviner, which quickly turns into vertical concrete.   This alternates with stretches of slightly less steep dirt/gravel.  You reach sun-exposed steep concrete up above 1000 meters, which was the hardest section for me.  Just in the nick of time the agony ends at the gravel road through Cadolten altopiano.  I was so exhausted here that I accidentally turned the wrong way up toward Monte Pizzoc.  Eventually I figured it out and turned around.

At La Crosetta I headed up the gorgeous gravel road to Candaglia. Good cool down after the climb.  Soon I reached the paved road to Piancavallo and pedaled to Sauc, where you reach the main road toward Aviano.  I instead turned off at Rifugio Bornass and took the road to Madonna delle Monte, then home.  Tired but happy.

Beautiful, cool Cadolten

Cadolten climb

Bibione Falo'

Beautiful May day for a ride down to the Adriatico at Bibione.  I’d read that they’d built ferry landings at Bibione and Lignano for cyclists to cross the Tagliamento River.  When I reached it a good sized crowd was waiting for the next boat.  I continued on the hard-packed dirt road until 

I reached the light house. From there a pista ciclabile atop the levy through the marshy zone behind the beachfront.  Top notch!

The long ride home went well all until San Martino where I nearly bonked.  Luckily a few km later it passed and I made it home feeling tired but lucid.  Will try this to Lignano next time.

Bicycle ferry landing from Bibione
 to Lignano across the Tagliamento

Bibione light house

Cima Valfredda MTB/Hike

Valfredda

Scree

Climb from Barcis to Montelonga

Forcella di Giais MTB

I needed to test my MTB after some maintenance so I took a spin up past Madonna delle Monte to Bornass, Castaldia, Via delle Malghe to the turnoff for Forcella di Giais (did not ride over to edge).  From there on the Ronciade trail back to Collalto, which I snowshoed in January.  MTB function check passed with flying colors.

Looking down toward the altopiano from 1435 meters

Beginning descent down to Forcella di Giais

Long climb

Andreis Chiesa San Daniele

I rode to Barcis and around the back of the lake when  an official told me the road to Piancavallo was closed for a rally car race.  So I rode up Valpentina to the road end then back down,
across the supension bridge and back to Andreis, where I intended to climb Pala Barzana.  Alas another official said it was closed for the rally too.  So I rode up to Chiesa San Daniele above Andreis, then down to the raptor rehabilitation center, up the crazy climb on Via Aquadotto, and back down to the long tunnel home.  Sunday morning fun.

Lake Barcis

View southeast

Valpentina falls

Chiesa San Daniele above Andreis 

Malga Fara above Bosplans

Monte Raut

Peak above Andreis

Wildflowers

Very professional trail construction by Alpini vounteers

Approaching San Daniele 

View of Andreis and Val Cellina gorge

Raptor rehabilitation center

Cuel di Forchia

Another favorite steep steep climb, but this one is over by the Tagliamento River.  After a long warm up through Pinzano and Peonis I turned toward Avasinis and headed steeply upward.  It’s a great climb for practicing breath control because if you don’t concentrate you will quickly run out of  oxygen and become a quivering gelatinous mass.

Toward the end you also get to simultaneously practice traction control on  some steep wet algae-covered concrete ramps, where your wheel spins 180 degrees, you’re standing motionless in the pedals, and you gently try to pedal forward while gasping for air.  At the top you coast down to the altopiano of Monte Prat then down to Forgaria.  The ride home wasn’t too bad despite my knackered legs.  Very happy to get home before the rain.

Val Tochel below Monte Cuar

Monte Ragogna con Fiume Tagliamento
from descent of Monte Prat

Good training

Via Guitcillo da Montanara

I love this crazy climb.  It starts at Montaner and heads very steeply upward to end of pavement at 850 meters.  At the last farmhouse you begin a portage through blackberry thorns and stinging nettles, soon rejoining a gravel road.  Some saliscendi on concrete roads down to the main road connecting Vittorio Veneto with the Cansiglio.  You turn off at Col Oliver picnic area and continue on the gravel road until joining the paved road to Villa di Villa.  Great fun on road or mountain bike.

View from the climb

Castello di Cordingnano at Villa di Villa

Hard climb

Soverzene

Rode up through the tunnels to Barcis, through Cimolais, over Passo San Osvaldo, through the tunnel at Vajont dam, down the switchbacks to the Piave River and southward to Soverzene.  They've greatly improved the pista ciclabile along the banks of the Piave  since I last visited.  Instead of a muddy footpath it's a paved bike path, concrete cantilevered along the previously eroded river bank.  There's even nylon fencing along the edge to catch you if you take a tumble.  This eventually connects to the previous hard-packed earth bike path and then pavement along the canal toward Lago di Santa Croce.  I missed a turn on the ciclabile, instead taking a fun deviation on a dirt road, miraculously avoiding the giant mud puddles along the way.

At Farra d'Alpago I began the lakeside ride with some wind-blown sprinkles falling from il Cansiglio high above.  Down the switchbacks to Vittorio Veneto and then the long ride home.  Happy and tired.  

Val Cimolana

Remnant of Lago Vajont

The landslip of Monte Toc, with Col Nudo high above

Peaks above Soverzene; beautiful bike ride to Lago di Gallina
hidden high above     

Wonderful new pista ciclabile along Piave River 

Previously this old construction tunnel was full of mud
so you had to carry your bike 

Monte Dolada, daring me to try climbing it again