ON THE TRAIL OF THE LINE CADORNA
When the heat is not from 'truce is not' easy ride either. We must therefore find routes that, as you can ', AFA expose as little as possible. A first solution and 'cycling in cool, a long lake, for example. An alternative solution 'to the heights. In the absence of high altitude lakes in the vicinity of Milan, we have opted for a route that, after a few km of lake Como, rises to nearly 1600 meters. This is the climb to the mountain Rifugio Venini Galbiga. A challenging climb, long the most 'of 27 km with a vertical drop of respect (more' than 1300 meters).
Stefano
It 's the weekend of the Marathon of the Dolomites, Val Badia is full of cyclists from Milan and Como in the direction we start in two: myself and Stephen, with a history of strong triathlete Water polo at the highest levels. Stephen 's a powerhouse, pushing on falsopiani effortlessly rapportoni preposterous. But the delicate texture of tires Vittoria is uncomfortable with the 90 pounds of muscle than ours. We begin 'with a nice little hole after Cernobbio. Never mind: we fix everything and just to be safe, back, from a cyclist Stefano buy an air chamber and a new tire.
Starting over at a time of Argegno. The ride along the lake and 'as always pleasant and the temperature, despite the delay due to the unexpected, and' still acceptable. In short we Argegno. Shortly after the country announced a quick pull to the left of the first ramps of the climb to San Fedele Intelvi.
The road and 'large enough and busy: rooms with slopes of 6-7%. Nothing terrible, but after the slight ups and downs of the lake, the climb is not here to 'truce. From Argegno in San Fedele, through Dizzasco and Castiglione, are more 'than 500 m in altitude without a moment's pause to catch his breath. We go up a good pace, indeed, very good rhythm! The Garmin confirms the efforts we are constantly over 1000m of VAM. As I pedal I wonder "where do I go? After San Fedele will be another 800 m in altitude, as if I burn them all now?". But I made the suicide rate and there 'nothing to do. Stefano rooms of pure power and does not give half a centimeter.
Val d'intelvi
Finally we arrived in San Fedele. E 'already' time to fill the bottle. Break bar, and here I experience the advantage of riding with a bronze Statues dress triathlete. Entered the two nice ladies sitting at the bar counter with cap and spotted our croissants and a couple of glances after entering mode '' mo 'I'll show you .. " and begin with a series of jokes and compliments. Like 'but' cause you all this trouble? " and Stephen (politely) "'cause after the endorphins you feel better" and they "' my husband says so 'but then the CIA' more 'endorphins to make you more .. but maybe you have that you are advancing. .. ". And down 'ghignatine. There. In short, a courtship to Proust, then.
abandoned to their fate the two sgarzoline we take the other two abandoned children (those with carbon wheels) and begin the climb to lazy. It 's a beautiful rose in the shade and sinuous. After the narrow streets of the village of Lura paves the road and down a bit 'before rising gradually to 900 m to lazy.
The Lario south from the lazy Lazy
begins most 'hard climb of the day: there are about 400 vertical meters to the mountain lodge at 1300 m Alpe Colonno. Climb through the forest and the trees every so often a glimpse of the lake. The road and 'unfortunately very spoiled and do not make it easy climb with slopes around forever 9-10%. Salgo concentrated, a ride after another, with the only goal of the hut.
Suddenly the forest opens and after a right bend in the road levels among meadows and patches of trees. After a short slight slope along a ridge appears refuge. I turn around there but Stefano '. I do a couple of photos waiting for came out on the road, but then realized with horror that in my back pocket there 'his new inner tube. And if he's so street clothes with a 'broken-as it does?. I went off on descent. After a pious km finally see him emerge from a bend. He had laundry! Miraculously after Pigra has the classic PAFFFFFF! When she realized that the tube had I started the new calling me "Francoooooooooooooooo." No way, I was behind a bend and I did not hear. Fortunately, a man comes from one of the last homes of lazy and says: "I am Franco, who 's that?" Stephen had the pieces and has rearranged the tube but the cycling of the pump and Lazy Franc 'was the lifeline. It 's true that there' s always a Franco when you need it. As I recounted his misadventure with a happy ending we got back to Rifugio Alpe Colonno. Here, too, break water and then off to the last part of the climb.
Lazy refuge from Colonno
From the shelter down in the midst of larch trees to the valley of the refuge Boffalora. From Here the road forks, and of course we have to take the one that goes after a tiny church. We are in an alpine landscape: pastures, woods and herds. These woods are full of howitzer positions, trenches, observation posts. Located on the Cadorna Line: "u na defensive military line built between 1911 in 1916 and Pre to protect the Italian territory by a hypothetical German attack through neutral Switzerland that a possible invasion of Swiss Lombardy and Piedmont . Its name is due to the fact that it was the general Luigi Cadorna, Chief of Staff of the Italian army, the need to support and monitor the implementation. "(Thanks Wikipedia!).
But while pedaling there 'a long time to dig up the notions of history. It's hard: the road climbs with a constant slope and the length of the climb now beginning to be felt. At the bottom are now more 'in which we cycle 25 km on the rise.
The climb to Venini and the church.
The trees are sparse, and even now if the air at this altitude and 'cool the sun beats down hard. It seems impossible, but only two weeks ago it snowed here. In the last 2 km along the road climbs the steep hillsides of grass and rock to the Mount Galbiga. After a turning point appears, the saddle and refuge up there 'more than 1570 m of altitude. The latest rides are really exciting: there is' a hawk flies up and see that the goal is approached gradually puts new energy into the legs.
The last rides before the retreat.
deserved award of the day you arrive
up here 'we deserve a prize: pass Piattoni smoking rabbit with polenta and mushrooms, and bowls of red wine. But we have even more 'than 40 kilometers to go. Better to opt for something more 'light. Sandwich and coke are still a premium Gourmand after a climb like that. We are at 1576 meters, even if the air is not 'clear the heat, the views are spectacular from the refuge.
The road up to Venini
ready to go with the cannon in the background
Boffalora
After a well-deserved prize distributed. Unfortunately the road and damaged the steeper slopes require a lot of attention: it drops to 20 km / h with his hands on the brakes. The short salitina after the shelter Boffalora and 'just what it takes to remind us that it is not' over yet: the machine and 'still years away. There syrup also ramps down into the woods to Pigra, where, fortunately, the road improves. But with a final ascent to the paw Venini strikes back: soon after the home of the legendary "francoooooooooo" .. PAFFFFFFFFFF!. Stefano blew again.
This time we are changing fast in the rubber and we throw in a few minutes to San Fedele Intelvi. The miles of descent from lazy Argegno are a pleasure. There is no 'more' traffic, the street and 'nice and down brushing the trajectories with a lake view. From Como to Argegno the last kilometers of the day are fast, but the air hot and the fatigue accumulated in us back up to more than 'myths advice. The pace gradually descends and we are back to the car after 90 miles and altitude of 2060M. In return, we made out: two sandwiches, 4 bars, 5 coche, 7 bottles of water and salts, 3 inner tubes and a tire. And then it says that the bike does not consume anything ....
Photos are HERE while the file and GoogleEarth ' HERE
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