Crispin’s Guide to Stirling Cycling - Overseas

June/ July 2001 – A CTC Tour of the Italian Dolomites.

Led by Maurice and Anthea Truby this was an excellent, gentle-paced but challenging tour of the Italian Dolomites and Julian Alpes. Highly recommended.

As a group we flew into Trieste Airport from Heathrow via Rome.

Day 2 Ronchi to Tolmin (Slovenia)Total climbing - not known . Mileage – 44 miles. Time – not known

The first real day of our holiday. A short humply ride took us across the border into Slovenia at Gorizia / Nova Gorica. Following the Soca through Plave (lunch) & Kanal (ice-cream) we reached Tolmin. Here the bands outside our hotel room window celebrated the 10th Anniversary of Slovenian independence.

Plave

Day 3 Tolmin (Slovenia) to TarvisioTotal climbing - 4770 ft. Mileage – 43.8 miles. Time – 4h17

After leaving Tolmin, we followed the Soca on a quiet road to Kobarid (coffee with artillery). Lunch was pizza at Bovec (483m) and then a long climb took us to Predil (1156m). Regrouping at a bar just before the border, we descended to Tarvisio.

The road between Kobarid and Bovec

Leaving Bovec

Brian pushes his bike through Strmec

Day 3 Tarvisio to Pontebbia

Total climbing - 4200 ft. Mileage – 46.8 miles. Time – 4h42

After crossing the border into Austria, coffee was in Feistritz. We then followed a cycle path until lunch in Hermagor – where in return for buying drinks Sarah was allowed to scatter crumbs all over the floor. A short ride took us to Tropolach (608m ) and then the climb started. Hot and ever lasting we are all glad to reach the top, where the bar served ice cream! We then descended to Pontebbia, where a superb meal awaited us.

Descent to Pontebbia

Day 4 Pontebba to Piano d‘Arte

Total climbing - 4830 ft. Mileage – 30.4 miles. Time – 3h50

For some, the first day without luggage. The purists struggled on.

No wonder the barman the night before had described the Passo’Casson (1552m) as unrideable – it was. Regrouped at the top (ahh, lunch), we dodged the grids on a smooth tarmaced descent and after a climb stopped for afternoon ice-cream in Paularo. Paularo should have been lunch but wasn’t. Ignoring the afternoon pass, it was long, lazy s-bends to Piano d‘Arte

Pete disappears into the distance on the climb of the Passo’Casson

Waterfall after Paularo

Piano d’Arte –Rest Day

Total climbing - 570 ft (not counting walking). Mileage – 14.2 miles. Time – 1h15

A drizzly morning greeted us. Rather than risk spending all day waiting for the rain to stop, we headed into Tolmezzo. This was the cue for a torrential downpour – we sat the remainder of this out in a coffee bar. Lunch was pizza before we climbed to the castle. The return bike ride allowed another coffee stop at Zuglio.

Day 7 Piano ‘Arte to S Stefano

Total climbing - 6680 ft. Mileage – 48.9 miles. Time – 5h15

A gentle descent out of Piano ‘Arte took us Cercivento, where a cut in my rear tyre resulted in a puncture..

After a not-too-bad-considering climb over the Lavardet Pass (1542m). The next passes were biggies - Razzo – 1760m, and Ciampigootto 1790m. We headed for the road-junction that was indicated on the map, hoping to find a café but instead found only a wall, on which sat Ray and Rhona, who had expected to find a café but had found only a wall. That was lunch then. The top of the pass opened out to reveal breathtaking views and then, joy of joys, a café ! A stunning series of switchbacks and hairpins and a 46mph descent (Sarah – a new pb of 43mph) took us into Laggio. Regrouped we headed along a gorge to S Stefano. I punctured again - Sarah carried on in blissful ignorance.

Near the top of the Razzo Pass

The descent of the Ciampigootto

Day 8 - S Stefano to Cortina

Total climbing - 5790 ft. Mileage – 49.3 miles. Time – 4h53

A loop to the north via Padola took us over the pass of the Passo S Antonio (1476m). A steep 9km descent led to coffee at Auronzo di Cad (862m) before a 22km climb to Misurina (1756m). Gentle at first, this climb steepened considerably towards the end – or was it just the altitude? Lunch was taken sitting beside the lake. Regrouped we descended clockwise around Monti Cristallo to Cortina (ice cream) and a plush hotel. Unfortunately dessert was not a free-for all.

The long haul up to Misurina

Looking back

Day 9 – Cortina to Langarone

Total climbing - 5670 ft. Mileage – 43.7 miles. Time – 5h08

Climbing started as soon as we left Cortina. A cycle event over the Gau (147km Marathon of the Dolomites) meant we had to walk this pass.

At the top (2230m), thousands of cyclists and free food resulted in an exciting atmosphere and free food! A steep descent avoiding the oncoming hordes took us to the start of the climb of Passo Staulanza (1773m) and coffee. At this point it was past 3pm and he had covered just 25miles. Not a problem, the next 23 miles were all down hill to Italy’s Stevenage - Langarone (1520ft)!

Panorama from the Giau (spot the same cyclist twice!) (Click here to see the full-size image)

Day 10 Langarone to Tramonti di Sotto

Total climbing - 4560ft. Mileage – 45.7 miles. Time – 4h45

The church at Langarone.

Hastily rebuilt after a flood from a landslip into the neighbouring dam destroyed the city, the church was built to represent the swirling movement of water. A maze of walkways led to locked doors and at one point we resurfaced in a neighbouring building. Bizarre.

After climbing the Passo San Osvaldo (827m) past the former dam, coffee at Cimolais led to a long, gentle descent into a headwind and the lake at Barcis for lunch. Once Ray had been ejected from the tunnel, the group visited part of the gorge to Montereale. Unable to follow the gorge for its entire length, we forced to climb via Bosplans (842m). Coffee at Casasola allowed us to watch the village fountain getting cleaned. A humpily main route eventually delivered us to our hotel at Tramonti di Sotto.

A tunnel near the former dam on the Passo San Osvaldo

Roughstuff on the climb to Bosplans

Day 11– Tramonti di Sotto – Tarcento

Total climbing - 5660 ft. Mileage – 59.8 miles. Time – 5h41

The mornings climb took us over the Passo di Rest. All bar Sarah and John stopped for coffee. Descending to Preone for lunch, a very steep climb into the boondocks took us into the Arzino Valley and a long descent led to the bunch recapturing the breakaway before coffee in Flagogna. A brief race with the rain on the main road delivered us to Tarcento.

Day 12– Rest Day (Tarcento)

Total climbing - 1150 ft. Mileage – 13.6 miles. Time – 1h34

Abrupt climb over the hills and past Sedillis took us to Torlano di Sopra for coffee.

Returned via the main road. Lunch was takeaway pizza.

Day 13– Tarcento to CividaleTotal climbing - 3710 ft. Mileage – 46.9 miles. Time – 4h04

A long draggy climb toouk us of Tarrento. Regrouped at the top and then descended to a bar for coffee. I don’t think it was just me but I got very cold at this point. A descent and then a horrible climb which should not have been there to the border checkpoint. A short descent took us back to the Soca valley in Slovenia. Lunch was taken by the cannon in Kobarid (déjà vu again) and then a gentle flat ride on N54 took us in to Cividale. Here we were able to wander round looking chic and hang out in the bars in the town square.

The Devil’s Bridge - Cividale

Day 14– Cividale to Ronchi

Total climbing - 1410 ft. Mileage –35.0 miles. Time – 2h52

Pootled around just inside the border, passing vine yards all morning. The afternoon saw us climbing Mt S Michele to the war memorial. Downhill all the way back to Ronchi, where we packed the bikes and had one last Italian meal.

Italian cycling heroes

War memorial on Mt S Michele

Crispin’s Guide to Stirling Cycling - Overseas