Borgo Valsugana To Fiera del Primiero.

July 12, 2022

A big day for us today. We're pretty spent right now!

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We pushed out of Borgo before 9am, wanting to get an early start on what was promised to be the first big test of the legs. When I planned this route out months ago, I knew that this day was going to be a tough one; and one, as a loving and caring partner, did not divulge too much to Sue about for fear of creating too much panic and anxiety. But, she's no dozer and she soon began to take a closer look at the elevation profiles and ask questions, which of course I had to answer.

Our ride out of Borgo retraced some of our route from a couple of days ago when we arrived into town; following the incredible ValBrenta cycle path. We were surprised when we left the hotel and found it to be perfectly cool, with scattered clouds; perfect for a big day of climbing mountains.

The first few kms were bliss as we followed the Brenta downstream and downhill, hardly having to push on the pedals at all, coasting and taking in the scenery. But, that didn't last long.

The climbing began in earnest as we tackled the first hump of the day towards Castello Tesino. The grades hovered around 8-9%, so we just churned and spun the pedals. This was Sue's first test ride of her 'new' bike, and she commented that it climbed like a dream. So, that's good news.

Susanna climbing out of the Brenta valley. Borgo is back behind her there somewhere.

According to the sign posted beside the fountain: 'Bieno is situated on a panoramic morainic ridge. The town appears suspended between the Valsugana, in a glacial terrace offering spectacular vistas of the valley. Towering above the town are the magnificent peaks of the Rava group, which with its glacial lakes and 'malga' farmsteads, is and enchanting antechamber of the Lagorai chain." Okay.

After some research, a 'malga' farmstead is an alpine farm usually specializing in cheese.

The region past Bieno is an altiplano or high plateau where the valley opens up to a wide pastoral plain with an elevation of around 900m. It truly is a breathtaking area with 'malga' farms scattered along the valley.

Past our first hump of the day at Passo Forcella. Here I'm urging Sue to take the shot quickly before I am taken out by an oncoming car.

Here is an image of the altiplano where the Roman road Claudia Augusta and Austro-Hungarian forts of the front lines of First World War are located.

If you zoom in you can just see the town of Castello Tesino nestled up against the mountain left of center.

We stopped in Castello Tesino and scoped out a bench in a wonderful park with a panoramic view overlooking the valley. This park seemed to be a gathering place where the town elders would meet and chat, as each bench was occupied by small groups of close friends. The town had a welcoming and pleasant personality.

After Castello, the climb up to Passo Brocon begins in earnest. This was a long climb at about 15kms and a steady 8-10% gradient. The cloud cover and very little traffic made this climb more tolerable.

Climbing out and away from Castello Tesino. That's it down there.

Panorama with my bike parked on the left and Sue climbing on the right.

As we neared the pass, the weather looked like it began to turn. Dark clouds spilled over the mountains and it became increasingly chilly, so we stopped at a little refugio/restaurant that seemed to be hosting some kind of boys/girls scout group. They were all huddled inside and clearly bored. As I leaned my bike up against the building, I heard rapping on the window. I looked, waved and smiled. Then a chorus of rapping ensued to the point when it started to become obnoxious. After a few more waves and courteous smiles, I went to take a photo to ignore them politely. I'm a grade six teacher, and this is not my first rodeo.

As Sue and I rode off, I could still hear the fading rapping on the windows.

Approaching Passo Brocon with dark clouds looming. They never amounted to much.

Looks like some kind of orchid. Looks similar to our coralroot orchid back in BC.

Us. A nice couple took our photo, so we returned the gesture.

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss. When we began the climb to Passo Brocon from Castello Tesino, we ignored a sign that looked exactly like the one in the above shot. If we had known that it meant ROAD CLOSED, we might have had to rethink our plan. Who wants to climb a big mountain and expend all that effort only to find it is closed and be turned around? Not us. Thank god our grasp of the Italian language is poor.

As we descended Passo Brocon, road crews were definitely doing major work on steep slopes. Downed trees and debris littered the road and we had to be extra cautious that we didn't catch a tire on a rogue pine cone, twig, stick or even a big branch! We kept going; blissfully unaware until we reached a gate crossing the road. Oh shit. The road really was closed.

The prospect of climbing back up the way we came became a stark reality and we both had that sickening feeling in our stomachs. That is, until a worker who was harnessed and hanging off of a cliffside way up on the slope waved us through! YES! The cycling gods were with us again.

Happy that we didn't have to climb up over Passo Brocon again.

After one last break in Lausen, we climbed the last of our humps over Passo Goberra and into Fiera where the lofty Dolomites with their characteristic grey spires soared above the valley of the Torrente Canali. We arrived around 4pm. A long day and tiring day, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Here are some shots from our evening:

Today's ride: 71 km (44 miles)
Total: 232 km (144 miles)

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Suzanne GibsonMust have been a great experience!
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1 year ago

Patrick O'HaraIt was Susanne! All that work was worth it.
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1 year ago

Kathleen ClassenOh those Dolomites! We can’t wait to go back. What a fantastic day you had. Loved your comment about the kids. Keith teases me every time we go by a school. I loved my job (Grade Two for me), but in retirement I don’t need to relive it!
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1 year ago

Patrick O'HaraTo Kathleen ClassenHi Kathleen. Ha ha. I love my job too. Sue and I are also looking into retiring in the next few years. As you know, it's hit the ground running from September to June. These past couple of years teaching during COVID have been challenging for students and teachers. Looking forward to following along on your next trip.
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1 year ago