Sella Chianzutan 2012

Gorgeous morning!   A cold front came through Sunday morning and lowered temperatures to below May normals, then the wind last night blew away any remaining haze.  It was so nippy I put on my Castelli leg warmers, normally stowed away after March.  I warmed up through Arba and Pinzano, then headed north on Strada del Bottecchia.  Lots of grifoni were riding the thermals at the Riserva Naturale- I had to stop for a picture. 

I continued north but had a flat (front again) so changed the tube.  I found the gash in the tire from my previous ride but the tube hole didn't line up with it.  Still, I don't trust this tire anymore- will replace soon.  I rode through Avasinis and Alesso, then along the west side of Lago Cavazzo- very pretty.  Half way to Verzegnis the road was closed and I was routed a long way around, through Cavazzo Carnico, across the Tagliamento, to Tolmezzo, then across the Tagliamento again to the start of the climb.

The climb itself was stupendous, through dense fir then beech forest.  There are a few villages with meadows on the first half of the climb, and I said "Bon di" to a lady working in her garden.  She said "Grazie, è un vero bon di", she also knew this was an especially fine day.  At 800 meters the forest gave way to alpine meadows, through which the road switchbacked to the sella at 954m.  I took a few pictures but it was quite cold now that I'd stopped my exertions.  I headed down the other side, through spectacular Val d'Arzino and San Francesco to Anduins.  A strong headwind was blowing from the sella all the way to Lestans, where I turned west toward home.  I made it home but legs were very tired. 

Huge wingspread of gliding grifone above Lago di Cornino

Monte Verzegnis 1914m to west

Monte Piombada 1744m to east

Monte Sernio, 2197m to the north

Rode counterclockwise

Passo di San Boldo 2012

This was an unusual and interesting ride.  I left home at 0630 and cruised to Caneva.  There I met Joe for our ride and several other folks from GC Meschio club also arrived.  We headed toward Passo di San Boldo around 0800.  I held on to the back of the bunch until Cordignano, when my front tire and tube were slashed by some road debris.  The guys heard the load hiss and all came back to help.  Joe told them to go ahead, we would change the tube and catch up with them, but they would have none of it.  Two guys pulled off the tire, carefully checked for any glass, etc still lodged in the tire carcass, and half-pumped the new tube.   Another guy was using the pump to try and find the hole in the tube.  That could wait for later though, so the other 2 guys finished pumping my tire and reinstalled the wheel.  All the while the whole group remained waiting, for me a total stranger who happened to be tagging along.  Their kindness and patience with me holding up their ride was really amazing.  Days like this remind me why I love living in Italy so much.


I redoubled my efforts to keep up and managed to hang on through Anzano but the little hill at Serravalle dropped me.  The last I saw of them was on the climb toward Longhere on Via del Prosecco.  I settled into my usual snail-like pace and continued till Cison di Valmarino, where I turned toward Passo di San Boldo.   This is a beautiful place; even if you don't bike you should visit just for the view.  I continued up the tornanti to 665 meters, where I stopped for the traffic light (there are single-lane U-shaped tunnels at the ends of the tornanti so it's safer to wait for a green light to avoid hitting descending cars head-on.  While I was waiting Joe and his companion (whose front derailleur cable had broken) arrived from the passo, where they had waited awhile.  They were headed down so I went with them- there'll be plenty more chances to climb this again (and descend via Passo Praderadego!)
Fun ride and I met some very nice people!


Note:  I didn't bring a camera but here are some fotos of the passo from previous rides:
http://dolomiti-friulane.blogspot.it/2011/06/passo-praderadego-da-gus.html

Cuel di Forchia da Avasinis

This morning was so beautiful I was obliged to go for a ride.  After an easy ride to Pinzano I headed north along the Tagliamento on Strada del Bottecchia.  Dozens of grifoni were gliding along the cliffs above Lago Cornino.  I turned left toward Avasinis and then left again onto Via Novedet- the start of the climb.  In the first 400m up to the crucifix you average 14% gradient.  It then lessens to 10-12% for several km, immersed in dense forest with glimpses of Lago di Cavazzo to north.  After another tilt upward to 14-15% you reach a false flat through meadows with some rustic houses.  Great views to north here.  The road now continues even more steeply with sections of 18-20%.  I was gasping for air but made it through the worst without stopping (which would entail rolling back downhill a ways to restart).  The remaining climb to the pass Cuel di Forchia is easy.  From there you descend a bit and then reascend to Val Tochel.  Down the narrow road to Monte Prat, then down wonderful wide, smooth switchbacks to San Rocco, then Forgaria and home.  Stupendo!


BTW this climb was part of stage 18 of 2006 Giro d'Italia.  You can read an account of Marzio Brusgehin and Stefan Schumacher's battle up Cuel di Forchia here:  http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=9483 

View to northwest at 750m

Close up with Monte Arvenis (1968m) in background 

View to north

View northeast

View south of Monte Cuar east peak

Glider being towed.  Before I could see it, I thought it was a
tractor going uphill- that's how hard the engine
was straining to get up over the mountain

Ridden counterclockwise

7.5km averaging 9.4% gradient

A couple of the steeper ramps

Monte Frascone 2012

"Where are you headed today?" my neighbor asked.
"Above Vittorio Veneto: Pian delle Femene"
"So you are going there to look for women?" she teased.
"No, there aren't any women there.  Only grass and trees"  I played along. 
"Allora, buon viaggio."

I warmed up on the easy glide down to Vittorio Veneto.   Lots of cyclists out for a weekday, even 2 big groups of 20 or 30.  Turned toward Valdobbiadene and continued through the little town of Revine.  Just past the town is a right turn toward Monte Frascone / Pian delle Femene.  After an initial steep wall, you turn left toward Santuario di San Franceso Da Paola.  The road seems steep, but the parallel Via Crucis footpath to the church is even steeper.  Then you head up a series of long switchbacks through the forest averaging 10-12% for 4 km.  I was doing pretty well on this, but then I stopped at Madonna delle Nevi chapel to take some pictures.  It was tough getting back into climbing rhythm after that, and harder still on the following half-kilometer averaging 13.4%.  After 6 km the grade lessens slightly to 9-10%.  At 9 km you reach the end of pavement at Pian delle Femene. The previously crystal blue sky now turned black and it was clearly time to get outta there.  On the descent I went fast at first, then came to my senses and rode more cautiously.  It's a surprisingly wide, well-paved road considering it's out here in the middle of nowhere.  I got down to Revine and then cruised home with a lovely tailwind.  Hope to return to this climb again soon.  

Santuario San Francesco Da Paola

Lago Revine and the prosecco hills in background

Similar view from higher up at Madonna delle Nevi 646m

Memorial honoring women of the Resistance, who fought
against Italian fascists and Nazis

Memorial to the Alpini in WW I
at Vittorio Veneto  

9km averaging 9.7% gradient

Giro di Prosecco

An unexpected bonus today.  Paul Kim, an expert on cycling in the prosecco area west of Vittorio Veneto, invited me for a ride.  From Vittorio Veneto we rode up Passo di San Lorenzo (417m) then down to Tarzo.  From here we rode through some lovely rolling vineyards to Zuel di Qua, then down through Rolle.  Really spectacular scenery here.  Then we rode more rollers to Refrontolo, San Pietro and Cozzuolo, all the while surrounded by vineyards.  Can't wait to go back and shoot some photos, as well as exploring the plethora of roads winding through the area.  I did find this foto of the area online:

Cristo-Val Tochel

A beautiful day for another trip to the mountains, this time to the east.  Warmed up through Sequals and Travesio and then scaled the tornanti through Clauzetto and on to Cristo at 723m.  A slight drop to Orton and then plummeting through a forested gorge to Pielungo.  After turning left on the Val d'Arzino road at 340 meters, I took an immediate right onto the unmarked road after the bridge.  This is a great wilderness climb through endless forest, hard enough to challenge you but never excessively steep.  After 8 km it reaches the beautiful meadows of Val Tochel, under looming Monte Cuar (1478m).

Fast and fun descent down the narrow mountain lane to Monte Prat and then the wide well-paved tornanti to San Rocco.  After Forgaria a few more tornanti to enjoy, and then a longish rolling stretch to Lestans.  It was windy on the remaining flat ride home, but blew from the side rather than front so it wasn't too bad.

Looking west from Orton toward Monte Ciaurleç

The winding descent through beautiful forested gorge below Orton

Noisy waterfall in the gorge- I couldn't find a footpath to the bottom

Left to right from Orton to Pielungo

Left to right from Val d'Arzino toward Val Tochel

Top to bottom to Val Tochel and on toward Monte Prat

 Fun tornanti from Monte Prat to San Rocco

Monte Cor 2012

Today is Labor Day so good time for a ride- no big trucks, less traffic generally, and hordes of cyclists enjoying the holiday.  I must have seen 5 groups of over 50 riders each coming up Via Pedemontane from the pianura despite the weather.  It was cloudy and threatening but I pressed on.

After Cordignano,  it began lightly raining and continued until I reached Anzano near Vittorio Veneto.  When I passed Sant'Andrea di Bigonzo in Vittorio Veneto the sun suddenly broke out.  I took this as a sign of divine protection and vowed to finish the climb come what may.  

After turning left toward Valdobbiadene I climbed up the hill to Longhere.  Here the climb proper begins- almost immediately you see a right turn signed Fais.  Follow this up a steep wall for 100 meters and turn right again onto Via del Landro.  I continued climbing and then began a set of steep tornanti.  An elderly women was walking up this and told me to Fai forza!  After these tornanti I climbed steeply up through a village and the worst gradient of the ride (15-20%).  My rear wheel slipped only once because the earlier rain had dried somewhat- I would definitely have slipped, stopped and walked had it continued raining because the road is very rough and narrow with lots of slick stones protruding from the asphalt.

On cue the light rain recommenced as I climbed more tornanti, eventually arriving at the meadows of Borgi Olivi.  Here an older man was scything his orchard and asked Faccia un bagno?  Friendly people here.  Onward to Menegon at 650m, where the new road starts.  This is a modern, wide, well-graded road, but still as steep or steeper than below.  Long stretches of 12% and more, with few switchbacks to catch your breath.  I saw one other rider on this whole climb- he was descending.

At Pian dei Grassi (1150m) you reach the end of the wide new road, and a rough dirt road continues on the right up to Col Visentin.  This is climbable on MTB but I've only seen one guy report doing it on a cross bike (with 33mm tires) http://jackciclista.blogspot.it/2011/10/col-visentin-pedalare-in-paradiso.html 

I instead took the narrow paved lane to Monte Cor (1312m) where the sun popped out again.  Beautiful alpine landscape with great views (despite the clouds).  I headed down and took it easy because of the wet and also some fallen rocks I noted on the ascent.

The ride home was interesting.  At Fiaschetti they were having a fest and had the main road blocked off as a pedestrian zone.  I coasted through here very slowly, maybe 2 or 3 kph because the road was blocked by the crowd.  It was a nice rest.

Then later, near Coltura the road was blocked for a local bike race.  Another welcome chance to catch my breath.

Note: today was my first ride with a new backpack, a  Deuter Race X Air .  I asked Jerry of www.cycloclimbing.com for advice because he lives out of his backpack for 2 or 3 weeks each summer while cycling all over the alps.  This backpack has a mesh back pad that allows air to flow over your back to provide cooling and evaporate sweat.  Also the straps are quite wide so no digging into your shoulders on a long ride.  Excellent product.

Casera Sonego rifugio- with barbeque pit fired up
judging by the smoke

Left center note the road to Pian delle Femene (1126m)
from Revine Lago (maybe climb next week?)

Col Visentin (1763m) accessible by dirt road from Pian dei Grassi

Monte Pizzoc (1536m) across the gorge

Sant'Andrea di Bigonzo at end of a lane flanked by Italian cypresses

Leaders of bike race sponsored by cycling club of Fontanafreddo 

Pala Barzana -Piancavallo

Today was a nice change from my usual solitary explorations.  Three friends Doug, Joe and Naz came along too.  From Maniago's Piazza Roma we cruised to Poffabro and on up to Pala Barzana (842m).   From here we descended to Lago di Barcis (400m) and up the lovely northeast side of Piancavallo  (1300m).  A lovely warm day for a ride and fun having someone to chat with on the long climb.


Note: The elevation gain, moving time, distance below are erroneous (I had the Garmin in standby while waiting for the folks' arrival at Maniago and forget to turn it back on until after Poffabro).  You can compare to previous trips on this route: http://dolomiti-friulane.blogspot.it/2010/06/pala-barzana-collalto.html and  http://dolomiti-friulane.blogspot.it/2010/08/pala-barzana-collalto-2.html

3 or 4 sets of tornanti ease the steepness

The 2 climbs