Montelonga MTB

l rode up through the tunnels to Barcis, across the dam, continuing until just before the turn off for Piancavallo.  Turn left on paved road  for Montelonga.  This is deadly steep but I made it up without stopping.  At end of pavement you can continue without stopping but today I soon reached the first of many impassable treefalls which I climbed over, under and through.  This was a small sampling of the damage from the hurricane force winds that swept through northern Italy last November.  Eventually I took   the road eastward where less trees were knocked down and descended.  I ended up  meeting the behind-the-lake road again back almost at the dam.  Very fun ride.

The climb

The killer at the start

Il Cansiglio from Sarone

Busy week and the only time for a ride is afternoon on the hottest day in years.  I warmed up on Via Pedemontane Occidentale and turned upward at Sarone.  The climb is unrelenting and the heat reflecting off the cliffs was baking me alive.  I persisted until Maloria where a tree provided some shade.  After ten minutes or so I returned to the world of the living and got back on the saddle.  After awhile I reached the shady Cansiglio forest and continued climbing until my drop dead time, just short of La Crosetta.

The descent quite relaxing and wonderfully smooth below the junction at Sarone.  Easy ride home.

Venezia delle Nevi MTB

I’ve  been wanting to see how this bike path restoration has been coming along and today finally got a chance.  The climb up past San Tome was wonderful as always, and then came a welcome surprise. The new road is almost finished, with chip and seal pavement on the upper stretches and pea gravel lower down.  I’m guessing they are in the process of chip sealing the whole thing eventually.  In addition to the lovely grading work they’ve done, the previously unprotected vertical drop offs now have sturdy wooden fencing.  The work has been done to a high level.  Hopefully word will spread and more visitors will come here to ride.

Dramatic scenery above the bikepath

Castello di Maniago

Kind of a last minute ride in late afternoon.  This climb has some tough gradients followed by a twisty descent.  Fun workout.

Arba Loop

Another flat loop, this time to Campagna, Arba, Tesis, the long bridge across the Magredi and Torrente Cellina, San Foca, Sedrano, San Martino and home.  Very fun.

Partidor Loop

Similar profile to yesterday but a different route.  I rode to Montereale then on a straight, slightly downhill road to San Foca.  From there to San Leonardo, Malnisio and home.  Wonderful ride

Tesis Loop

Finally when the sky had parted and I readied to ride I caught the flu and was useless for another  week and a half.  Today I could stand it no and more went for a spin.  It’s an excellent training ride down to Vivaro, across to Tesis and up to Maniago Zona Industriale.  I’ll try again tomorrow.

Cima della Cima

Rode into a headwind all the way to Villa di Villa then climbed up to Castello di Cordignano and over the new bridge above Rugolo.  At the sign to Castellir and Alpini church headed more steeply upward.  I struggled to within a few hundred meters of the church and conked out.  I rested awhile and reached the next climb up to Cima della Cima.  This winds upward to a rifugio and pretty old house.  Continued on dirt road up past the Alpine wetland and eventually reached  Strada del Patriarca.   Coasted back down to Villa di Villa and rode the tailwind all the way home.  Killer climb

Alpine wetland at Cima della Cima

Torrente Meschio from
Strada dei Patriarca

i Fanghi

Best climb up the front range of the pre-alpi from il Cansiglio to il Tagliamento.  It’s wild, remote and physically challenging.  The altimetria below ends at the junction with the Panoramica  Cansiglio-Piancavallo but the actual highest point is 1500 meters at i Fanghi, a clay outcropping.

I descended to Piancavallo today but the road to il Cansiglio is another option  (Remember there is a rocky stretch if you have delicate wheels).  Another option is returning via Mezzomonte but I don’t recommend it on a roadbike because of all the deep drainage channels.

 Must try this if you’re in the area.

View from i Fanghi north

Challenging 

From Coltura to Panoramica Cansiglio-Piancavallo

Bibione Pineda

Another rare sunny day so I headed south to Bibione.  This time I continued westward to Pineda which has some lovely public beaches.  I arrived early enough to avoid the crowds, only a few runners and bikers.  Never bonked on the ride home but I did take a couple of rolling recovery breaks which give your energy output a chance to rebound.  Good ride.

San Leonardo Loop

Finally a couple of hours without rain.  I got about halfway across the Valcellina bridge and decided the huge fog bank on the other side was too dangerous so turned around and rode to San Leonardo, almost to San Martino, and home.  Felt good to be pedaling again. 

Prosecco Hills

Cruised down to Vittorio Veneto and up into the prosecco vineyards.  Hills covered with grape vines as far as you can see.  The climbing wore me out but luckily a nice tailwind pushed me all the back to Budoia.  More fatigued than usual after 2 weeks of rain delay.

San Procrazio

Prosecco vineyards San Pietro di Filetto

Puntic

After 2 weeks of cold rain and howling bora winds I finally can ride!  I headed east toTravesio and visited Puntic, a restored Roman bridge over Torrente Cosa.  Lovely spot, which I’ll revisit to ride  the MTB trails.  On the ride home the wind was in my face, opposite to the bora.  Not too bad, like a climb it gives your muscles some resistance to strain against.  Fun ride.

Torrente Cosa

Restored Roman bridge

Torrente Cosa

Passo San Boldo

A classic front range climb west of  Vittorio Veneto, Passo San Boldo is always interesting, with its vertical stack of switchbacks, each ending in an 180 degree tunnel.  Today is Labor Day so there was an unusually large crowd of riders grappling up the gradient.   Maybe also the transit of this climb by the Giro’Italia on 31 May has heightened interest.  Fun climb.

Ponti Dignano e Delizia

I’ve been wanting to try the Tagliamento bridge at Dignano on a Sunday, when no trucks are on the road, but was afraid. It’s only two lanes wide, with no walking or riding space.  I concentrated on keeping my tires on the white line, but the concrete guardrails are only centimeters away.  I made it but I strongly advise never riding this bridge on weekdays when numerous 18 wheelers are transiting in both directions.  You either will be crushed or flipped into the bouldery river too far below.

After the river, great straight flat road south to Delizia with its lovely wide bridge.  Ride home was wonderful, felt like a tailwind all the way.

Tagliamento at Dignano

Monte Pizzoc

The climb from Sarone to Monte Pizzoc is a long relentless test of fitness, perfect for gauging your current capability.  Today we had perfect weather,  with only the wind-whipped summit at the extreme.  Wonderful workout in a nearly deserted landscape.

View toward Lago Revine and prosecco vineyards

Monte Pizzoc and Col Visentin

Collalto da Lago di Barcis

Beautiful morning for a ride in the mountains.  I rode through the tunnel to Barcis, around the back of the lake, and headed up toward Piancavallo.  Deserted all the way.  At Collalto I put my jacket back on and coasted down to Pedemonte.  Wonderful ride.

Lago di Barcis

Monte Cavallo

Lago di Cavazzo

After a long rainy spell I’ve finally resumed riding. I rode east to Pinzano, then north along Strada di Bottecchia to Avasinis.  From here to Cavazzo Carnico, along the beautiful lake to Somplago then through the tunnel to Interneppo.  Soon you reach Strada di Bottecchio again and retrace the route home.  Two weeks off the bike was too much- I was exhausted.

Lago di Cavazzo

Lovely golden reeds along the shoreline

Zuccul Supigna MTB

Today I continued on MTB past  Osservatorio Astronomico di Montereale onto the gravel road toward Pala d’Altei.  I was able to pedal until the trail junction where the trail for Montelunga branches off.  Here I had to push the bike up the trail until the junction with the trail for Rifugio Rupiet.  This was my turn around point so I retraced my steps.  Soon I reached the trail descending toward Zuccul Supigna, a distinctive round knob visible for miles.  Shortly I rejoined the gravel road
to osservatorio and home.  Good cross training.

The gravel road heading up to Pala d'Altei 

Trail junction for Rifugio Rupeit

Zuccul Supigna from above

Rejoin gravel road here at
Cuol di Solaris 

Passo di Monte Rest

Beautiful sunny morning for a ride up through Meduno, Lago Tramonti, Tramonti di Sotto e Sopra, the glorious stacks of switchbacks chiseled into the cliffs of Monte Rest, to the pass at 925 meters  They are thinning out the trees which made this ride cool and shady in summer, but the new views revealed compensate for extra sweat.  Today I turned around at the pass but next time I’ll descend to the north and choose one of the many return routes.  Cycling heaven.

The upper stack of switchbacks

Bear cave at Passo Monte Rest,
with motion detecting camera