5 days

Mountain Bike: discovering the Dolomites and the Friulian hills

DAY 1

PIANCAVALLO

Arrival and Check-in. Departure by car, escorted by a bicycle support vehicle, to Mount Cavallo. On request, it is possible to ride by bicycle the famous ascent of the Giro d’Italia (about 25 Km of paved road). From Piancavallo we will begin the tour of the “malghe” (sheperd’s huts) a mixed route (asphalt, dirt road and trail) with a modest drop and easy to ride through, except for a short, more technical section of the trail, that requires further attention. The itinerary offers a variety of landscapes and environments: rough pastures, beech woods, and rhododendron fields accompany the biker along the whole loop. The most spectacular part of this “tour of the malghe” is with no doubts the one from the Casera di Valfredda to the junction for Forcella Giais, where it is possible to enjoy a complete panoramic view on the south-eastern side of Monte Cavallo and beautiful sights towards Monte Duranno and Cima Preti, that with their pointed shapes, give the impression of coming out straight from the fields preceding Forcella Giais. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.

DAY 2

PIAN CANSIGLIO

Breakfast and Meeting with the Mountain Bike guide. Supported by a bike support vehicle, we will head to Pian Cansiglio: the great “lung”, 100 meters up for a beautiful view of the Alpago Valley. We begin the tour from the north extremity of Cansiglio, making a complete circuit of the upland, following a rough terrain trail immersed in the natural environment of the woods. It is not hard in this contest to encounter deer, roes and bucks, squirrels and raptors. After the wavy lands of Pian dell’Erba and the Casera Caldoten the itinerary through the fields is quite regular until we reach Monte Pizzoc. Once on the Col Mazzuc the mule track begins to ascent with more down grade until reaching the paved road; this section of the trail does not lack of short and fun single-track alternatives. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.

DAY 3

VAJONT

Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Vajont with the MTB teacher and escorted by a bicycle support vehicle. Vajont is sadly famous for the landslide and the massive water wave that in 1963 washed away the villages in the valley and the nearby Longarone. The tour begins precisely from the dam (still perfectly intact) and proceeds towards the southern side of the valley riding on the landslide that fell down the Monte Toc; after several ups and downs we will reach Manzana and take the detour that goes down to the valley bottom till the riverbed of the Vajont stream. From here we will reach Erto and proceeding towards San Liberale we will come across the Trui de Sciarbon, an antique rout used for coal transportation. The trail is narrow and technically diffi cult, with several exposed passages and loose ground from time to time. A few sections of the path are not suitable for cycling, like the ascent and descent of the Col de Sciaston (5 min. walking). The single track finally exits the woods, cutting the side of the mountain and offering a breathtaking view of the vertiginous valley and of the well visible split of the Monte Toc. The route then becomes easier and faster and after riding through the village Casso will end back at the dam. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.

DAY 4

COLLIO FRIULANO AND GORIZIA

After breakfast departure for the guided tour of Gorizia with its suspended atmosphere typical of a border city: in the Piazza Transalpina, which until 2004 was physically divided by a wall, you will walk with one foot in Italy and one foot in Slovenia. Thanks to its special geographical location, it has always been culturally influenced by a combination of different civilizations: Latin, Slavic and Germanic. Situated on the eastern border, it has always played a major role in Central Europe but also during the Medieval period, and a very important symbol is its Castle, where medieval, Baroque and 19th-century architectures harmoniously co-exist. After the visit wine tasting and lunch at the Castello di Spessa, an ancient castle from the 1200’s surrounded by vineyards and wineries. During this visit, you could taste the typical wines of the area like the white Tocai Friulano, dry, fresh and aromatic. In the afternoon a walk to Cormons, the centre of the Collio Friuliano for visiting and other important wine cellar and having the possibility to taste the Ribolla Gialla withe wine. At the end return to the hotel for dinner. Overnight.

DAY 4

MTB THROUGH THE WOODS AND FIELDS OF THE PEDEMONTANA

Breakfast and departure by bike around Polcenigo, from the wetlands of the Livenza river to the woods of Santa Lucia and from the torrential water streams like the Artugna to the crystal clear of the Gorgazzo springs. This itinerary begins with the first single track in the floodplain damp area of the Livenza; continuing the ride on the hill of San Floriano, a short loop allows to ascent up to the little church on the top of the hill and then the descent on a rocky trail towards San Giovanni. The second rough section  enters the woods of the Hills of Santa Lucia, where a downhill on a fun single track reaches the Rio de Brosa riverbed, which will be subsequently followed up to Budoia, passing through winding trails surrounded by vegetation. An easy section of the track through the fl at country leads to Castello d’Aviano, where the road goes up again towards Colle Sant’Angelo. The following steep dive is probably the most dangerous of the tour and joins a further single track that - on a slight slope – goes up along the Artugna river and then proceeds toward the valley, lapping the Rio de Brosa again. Two sharp ascents lead now to the Gorgazzo and from here the path begins to be easier, until the sanctuary of the Santissima Trinità and the nearby Livenza springs. Return towards the facility and free lunch. Dinner at the hotel and overnight.

DAY 5

AVIANO

Breakfast at the hotel and free time before departure.

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