Monte Grappa

Solemn place at the top of Monte Grappa

Well that was a day of two halves! Rose got the all clear from the doctor, Monte Grappa was amazing for the climb and the memorial, but my route from there on was a bit rubbish and more struggles with accommodation. Not complaining, was still more fond memories than forgettable ones.

So I was ready and waiting at the bike store when it opened at 0900 this morning – or should I say when it was supposed to. There was also another Italian gentleman who joined me in the waiting soon after. We mulled around until about 0920 and I was thinking about next options when, with the shop still not open the gentleman offered to take me to the shop owners other bike shop in town. Winner! Not only did he take me there but his English was great as well.

We threw Rose into the back of his car and off we went, only to find the other shop also closed. He proceeded to talk loudly, gesticulating a lot, to the lady in the shop next door and apparently found a third bike shop in town. Off we went again, and finally we found one that was open....just. It was still opening 45 minutes late. Anyway, my new friend proceeded to tell my sob story and the mechanic took Rose for a ride. He came back soon after, did some pushing and prodding and then said the bearings were fine, it was the frame that was making the noise so all is OK.

I hesitated for a bit thinking “the frame is still quite a big deal if it is making a noise” when he assured me all was OK to continue as it is. He said it may be the headset which is no big deal apparently but probably just the frame. He then suggested that when I get back to New Zealand maybe take it to a mechanic then, it will last till then, but really I should buy a new bike when I get home. The guy gave me confidence in the way he was methodically going through it and talking about it, and he was wearing a Biancchi shirt so decided to take his word for it.

So after thanking everyone off I went to Monte Grappa. It was 1000 now and the temperature was 30 degrees already. I guzzled lots of water, then filled up my bottles, as well as took an additional litre in my back pockets so thought that would do it as the day only getting hotter! 

There are nine different ways to get up the mountain, and I decided to got the route from Semonzo because it looked awesome on the map with lots of switchbacks, but not ridiculously steep like the ones further to the east. It was also the route taken in the 2014 Giro so it must be fairly good!

The road starts almost straight away out of Semonzo, winding its way up the side of the hill. A sign says to expect 28 hairpins on the way up (normal corners aren't included in that tally, only 180 degree turns). The road is well shaded luckily by a row of young pines lining the downward side, and there was a cool breeze as well all assisting in keeping my body temperature down a bit (was still hot though!). It doesn’t take long before you notice just how quick you are climbing when you look down at the views below you.

After about 9kms (half way) and 18 turns completed you reach the first plateau and everything opens up. The shade disappears also, but by the time I got here the temperature had decreased to mid 20’s so was more manageable. Until this point there was no let up in the gradient (unless like me you stop to watch the para gliders take off), but after this point the road twists and turns, goes up and down across the now open area which was really nice. You also get continued views straight down to the bottom of the hill below you which is just amazing. It gets to the point where it is actually hard to make out individual buildings anymore you get up so high. The top half goes by quiet quickly because of all the changing landscape (and para gliders).

About 700m high at this point

You don’t actually see the top until about only 1km to go. And with about 500m to go is the 28^th and final hairpin. At that hairpin there is a monument which is part of a larger walk which I stopped off and had a look at. Then it was up to the top and the Refugio first for some food and drink.

I then went up slightly higher to the large monumental burial next. Wow, it was quite amazing and very humbling. It is a memorial to the Italian and Austro-Hungarian battles that took place during WW1, and is the burial site of almost 23,000 soldiers. When standing at the far end of it, it also looks like the memorial just moves out off the edge of the mountain. It is quite a special place.

From there it was down the other side. I chose the route to Feltre mainly for something different than the short sharp descent options (I get to do heaps of those).  That is where the day changed really. The route I had planned turned out to be a very busy road, not bad, but not that nice either. When planning I also had a look on google for any other roads or passes that I could use instead of the main road but could not see any. Then today I went past a sign for Passo Brocon, a pass used often in the early days of the Giro. I could not see on my Garmin where it finished so decided not to risk it and continued down the main road. Unfortunately, I saw signs for the same pass close to where I am staying so maybe that was the other side of it. If so gutted. Don’t want to look on the map now to check in case it was a possibility.

Hating my poor road choice

Then I struggled to find accommodation again. First place was closed, as was the second. Third I could not get to due to road works and apparently everything was closed. Finally I found one open which is lovely, but I once again just wasted so much time trying to find something, and this time all the accommodation  was up the surrounding hills so I did a lot more climbing than I needed to today. I couldn’t even say what village I am in actually, just that it is at the bottom of the Passo Manghan as in the end I just blindly followed accommodation signs or the Garmin around. So, think I might just book online one day ahead now, am tired of the uncertainty and unreliability of finding something on the go.

See, lovely view :-)

So overall still a good day. Grappa was great for the views and for the memorial up there. The ride was still nice but am disappointed that technology let me down in my planning (can’t beat a proper map huh), and was a bit of a downer about the search for accommodation again at the end of a day. But, I did get to feed a cow!

Tomorrow over the Manghan and then point towards Monte Padrio.

Highlight: The Grappa memorial.

Lowlight: Seeing the signs for Passo Brocon.

Lesson Learned: Accommodation searching in a hilly area is tedious and demoralising.