From Gemona del Friuli in MTB to explore the Val Venzonassa

Bike

26 March 2018

Bike

From Gemona del Friuli in MTB to explore the Val Venzonassa

With my friend Fabio, we park the car near the campsite of Gemona del Friuli, where we take advantage of the chance to have a coffee at the bar. From here, we hop on our mountain bikes and immediately begin to ride on the dirt road that leads to the Laser sports centre and then to the Sant’Agnese pass. This is immediately steep but possible for pedalling up: even if you have started “cold”, you will not have any trouble. The road climbs steadily with straights interspersed with hairpin bends, surrounded on either side by a pleasant vegetation that allows a view of the surrounding area.

When you reach the little church at the top, the road goes over and continues on grassy or sometimes gravely paths, then leads into the Rivoli Bianchi screes. Continuing on the rather unclear trail we reach the town of Venzone which you can safely cycle through thanks to the ban on motorised traffic. After crossing the bridge to the north of the village we take the road on the right, initially asphalted, which climbs up into the Val Venzonassa.

After a few kilometres, the road becomes a dirt track and forbidden to traffic. We pass through some stone tunnels without lighting but which, due to their short length, do not require the use of lights. We continue to climb until we see a sign for Sella Tacia on a bend to the left. From here, we continue straight ahead for a stretch at altitude characterised by views of the valley and the north-eastern slope of Monte Chiampon. We are increasingly immersed in a natural and wild environment where, thanks to the silence of our MTBs, we come across a stag and a roe deer. We go on, crossing a few simple fords. On the right, there are glimpses of the casera Frassin, completely restored and located in a clearing surrounded by the greenery of the last Friulian foothills. From there the road begins to descend steeply into an area where nature has taken charge. In the silence, the aromas and colours that surround us emerge in all their intensity.

Going on, we reach Tacia pass where we find a cart road on the right from the Ledis pass; we maintain our direction towards the Uccea valley. The road is paved once again and begins to lose height; our speed increases and very soon we find ourselves in the hamlet of Musi. Taking the provincial road on the right we head towards Tarcento, and from there, in a short time, we return to Gemona passing through Magnano in Riviera and Artegna. The route has no technical difficulties except at the start. Here there are some steep slopes to contend with; over a distance of just under 60 km there is a total difference in height of 1,350 m. For those wishing to taste the classic cuisine of Friuli, an interesting destination is the Agriturismo Malga Confin that can be reached by following the left hairpin mentioned above and following the signs.

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Andrea Dell'Oste

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I am a dynamic engineer, practitioner of extreme sports such as ski-mountaineering and mountaineering, but I also love endurance such as cycling and triathlon. With the soul of a motorcyclist, I have an unbridled passion for the mountains and I am a lover of dogs, in fact, my Duke always accompanies me.