Re: Old & New Carantania (journey story)

Posted by: veloträumer

Re: Old & New Carantania (journey story) - 12/19/15 11:12 PM

CHAPTER VII
Saurian language isles, devil mountains and a special kind of beer:
The remote mountain areas of Carnia (Alpi Carniche)


So 12.7. Gemona – Colle del Leone (260 m) – Venzone – Bordano – Sella Interneppo da Bordano (303 m) – Camping Lago di Cavazzo – Verzegnis/Lago di Verzegnis – Sella Chianzutan (955 m) – Val di Preone – Sella Chiampon (789 m) – Preone – Mediis – Ampezzo – Albergo di Pura
Ü: C wild 0 €
AE (Albergo di Pura): Gnocchi m. Kräutern, Polenta mit Gams, Strudel, Rotwein, Cafe 27,80 € (*)
75 km | 10,2 km/h | 7:16 h | 1565 Hm

For the first time I crossed the Ciclovia Alpe Adria Radweg in Italy. The first idea to that cycling way was from Friulian tourist board, not from Austrian one. So the former railway track is build new in opposite to Austrian side, where it is placed on old existing cycling ways. Beside that, some parts in Italy or not still ready and others like this one to Venzone is someway overemphasized. For tourist working this doesn’t matter, because the new cycling way is some new attraction and guesthouses are in profit of this, as you can see i. e. in Venzone, Pontebba, Resciutta or elsewhere. Venzone like other towns in the era are restructured in old style after an earthquake 40 years ago. Venzone is maybe the most charming town of the region with impressing mountains behind and the ruins of the old town wall before.

In Bordano and Interneppo (just a low pass between) you can see houses with painted pictures on the wall. Some seem to tell a whole story. If you look closer, on every painting are butterflies. That has to do first with many butterflies at the Monte Simeone, and second with the butterfly house in Bordano, possible to visit (II didn’t). In a curve of the climb you’ll find another painting with Italian racing cyclist stars. It’s a tribute to cycling sport in Italy and to the founder of a cycling museum in Portobuffôlè (south of Pordenone). More from that I presented in the Bilderrätsel 875, even some more photos of butterfly houses there. Even the Lago di Cavazzo seems to be painted in blue – it’s the greatest lake in Friuli, maybe better known under Lago dei Tre Comuni. There is another blue lake, but this one a storage lake – the Lago di Verzegnis, two climbs later, and not direct at the road. A most exciting route is the Val di Preone (so called both sides of the Sella Chiampon) with a very small road inside in stony walls. I failed my aim in Sàuris and so stopped at the deviation to the Passo del Pura. There is a guesthouse with restaurant, but maybe it’s better to stay in Carnia capital Ampezzo.

Mo 13.7. Albergo di Pura – Passo del Pura (1428 m) – Lac di Sàuris – Sàuris di Sotto – Sàuris di Sopra – Sella di Rioda (1800 m) – Forcella Levardet (1542 m) – Campolongo – Sappada – Cima Sappada/Bladensattel (1299 m) – Forni Avoltri – Rigolato – Comeglians
Ü: C wild 0 €
AE (Albergo Alle Alpi): Tagliatelle m. Pilzen, Frico, Polenta, Kuchen, Rotwein, Cafe 25 € (*)
84 km | 10,3 km/h | 8:09 h | 1930 Hm

The Passo del Pura is another hard climb, but you are free of strong traffic, because the transit to Sàuris villages goes through another valley with tunnels. The Sàuris villages are special places for an old Bavarian dialect, different from Dolomite German, also influenced by the Bavarian heritage. There are some other places for this dialect in Sappada/Bladensattel and Timau south of the Plöckenpass. But in Sàuris (Zahre) there is this dialect “Zimbric” most present, if not to say, it’s best marketed. Architecture seems similar to Walser people, another German speaking group in different parts of the Alps (most prominent south of the Monte Rosa in the upper Valsesia). Beside this, Sàuris is famous for the ham, not far from quality of San Daniele, and they have a ham feast two weekends in summer. I failed this feast, because just arrived on Monday, the feast continued the next weekend. And maybe most curious, Sàuris has its own Zahre beer, with some different types of smell, one of them with a smoky smell. The beer is some new product, but still could rise to cult status today. It’s quite expensive and marketed in attractive bottles with a red devil as mascot.

The Sella di Rioda is an exciting pass with stony fragments like sculptures, feeling somewhere in middle east moutains. Going down the Forcella Levardet is critically for a randonneur. It’s again very stony, hard gravel road in the higher parts, than changing the surface for many times. In the lower part there is a series of attractive, symmetric slopes. Riding to Sappada is an easier road, but some cars more, of course. It’ more like Dolomite region. The upper valley is surrounded by fascinating mountains and remembers to Dachstein route at Ramsau in Austria. Even there are some blind valleys. I had no time any more to discover, but they are still attractive and the local tourist managers call it the “Himalaya region” of the Alps.

Di 14.7. Comeglians – Tualis – Monte Cróstis (1934 m) – Ravascletto/Sella Valcalda (958 m) – Povolaro – Clavais – Liariis – Sella di Monte Zoncolan (1740 m) – Rifugio Moro – Sùtrio
Ü: H/Osteria Da Alvise 40 € mFr
AE (dito): Ravioli m. Auberginen/Tomaten, Hähnchenfilet, Bratkart., Salat, Eis, Cafe 32,30 € (***)
68 km | 8,7 km/h | 7:53 h | 2730 Hm

Both climbs to Monte Cróstis and Monte Zoncolan are some of the hardest in the Alps, and you should be in good mood to do that on one day. If to compare, landscape of the Monte Cróstis is much more attractive with its green mountain peaks in higher parts. Even you can ride the unpaved panoramic road to Ravascletto, which is quite easy in respect to the steep asphalt road before. If looking for the easier route, turn round my slope. The Monte Zoncolan on the west is even one category harder to climb. With full package it’s close to death. To shorten the way via Clavais is maybe not easier than via Ovaro. The “Valle del Bicicletta” starts in Liariis with the last fountain at the base. Every 500 m, sometimes longer distance, you’ll find a plate with a photo of a historic hero of the Giro d’Italia, with biographical data about him. The lower plates are for the elder heroes, the higher ones are for the younger ones. For going down in the east you can choose two possibilities. I didn’t check the alternative, because it should be steep as well not in good condition. The main road down from the upper cable station is quite opposite to the west with smooth asphalt and comfortable curves – more like an autobahn, just inside wood. Wonderful room in the Hotel in Sùtrio, recommended.

Mi 15.7. Sùtrio – Piano d'Arta – Arta Terme – Cedarchis – Trelli – Paularo – Forcella di Lius (1010m?/1034m?/1070m?) – Paluzza – Timau – Plöckenpass/Passo di Monte Croce Carnico (1360 m) – Kötschach-Mauthen
Ü: C Alpencamp 18 €
AE (dito): Ofenkartoffel, Salat, Schweinemdaillons, Gemüse, Pommes, Bier, Cafe 23,80 € (**)
71 km | 11,1 km/h | 6:25 h | 1675 Hm

In Sùtrio there are some oversized furniture or a shoe. These are parts of a course with some stories like a legend. If going for the Canale d’Incaroio (also Val di Chiarsò), the most scenery road is half part over the valley on the west side, but up and down. For faster riding be better at the road of the bottom of the valley, but more traffic there. At Salino you’ll find direct at the road a wonderful waterfall. Paularo is a typical mountain village, whose people have left their homeland for earning money north in Austria or south in Venetia region during many centuries. A symbol for that is a sculpture with a bike outside the village. Because I’ll come back two days letter, I tell that there is camping south, not direct at the main road, and just a few restaurants, not of good quality. Nonetheless, it’s a charming place.

Even the Forcella di Lius is a difficult climb; the saddle is lower than the road before and later. Between Paluzza and Timau there is an easy part. Next Plöckenpass is exciting with its curves and half galleries. The south side is better than the north side. There you should be carefully; it’s a little bit dangerous with some holes. There some other important memories towards World War I, a museum in Timau and in Kötschach, a peace walk around the pass itself, and a cemetery of soldiers at the north side (middle). The camping in Kötschach-Mauthen is a little too commercial, but it’s okay for one night.

Do 16.7. Kötschach-Mauthen – Dellach – via R3 (Gailtal cycling way) – Stranig – Tröpolach – Nassfeldpass/Passo di Pramollo (1530 m) – Pontebba – Studena Bassa – Passo di Cason di Lanza/Lanzenpass (1552 m) – Paularo
W: bis ca. 30 °C, schwül, anfangs heiter, danach mehr bewölkt
Ü: C Paularo 0 € (k. P.)
AE (Ristorante): Salat, Spaghetti Bolognese, Eis, Rotwein, Cafe 19,60 € (-)
89 km | 10,9 km/h | 8:12 h | 2145 Hm

For easy riding and nice landscape you can use the Gailtal cycling way. Some parts are exclusive for bikes, other parts small roads. Going for Nassfeldpass, is again steep, but less than south side. In this case, north side is better, because of the commercialized pass, especially in winter. The south side is very stone and the road smaller and some walls round broken. Without riding through Pontebba, you find easy the way to the Lanzenpass. Well, this pass isn’t easy, anyway – even maybe more difficult from the east. But this pass is exciting with different parts of meadows, wood and canyon like route in the east. You should take more time than me, because you can take walk in the canyon, which you don’t see really from roadside. But this walk takes another 1-2 hours.

Music: The Trio Altrioh from Friuli dedicates its interest to Italian folk roots as well to old Friulian songs. They give them modernized sounds by experimenting even with electronic instruments. For this session they come together with the group Aniada a Noar from the Steiermark, which carries the same way of their musical traditions. A funny meeting of Carantanian regions and their musical traditions: Aniada a Noar/Altrioh „Bocca di Rosa (Fabrizio de André)“ (6:21 min.)

Photo gallery chapter VII (195 photos):



to be continued