|
|
| advertisement |
| -------- |
| advertisement |
Crossing this pass was almost a kind of religious
experience for me. The reason is this: In spite of all
their scenic splendor, civil engineering marvels and
tasteful picturesqueness, there is one quality that few
paved passes in the alps possess during July and August,
and that is peace, quiet and a relative absence of
traffic. This pass has all that and more. This road is so
narrow, many bike paths are wider. For km after km it is
narrow strip of smooth asphalt that seems glued to the
mountainside on one side. On the other side a banister
separates you from dropoffs of varying heights. The state
of this banister is testimony to the fact that rocks come
down and roll across it rather commonly (see picture
page). There are a few local vehicles that cross this
road. The drivers know what to expect. It is extremely
steep in places, without the usual warning signs that such
a spot is coming up. Countless small bridges cross what
can be raging torrents, one leading by a waterfall so
close, you can touch it as you ride by. There are many
rough sections with large rocks on the road, including
where the road surface is sloughing away, and drainage
crates that are wide enough to swallow a skinny tire. But
all these can be easily circumnavigated with a little
care.
From East. From Pontebba there is no sign that
points to passo del Cason di Lanza. Instead you follow signs
to Studena Bassa on the left side of the river Pontebba,
when leaving town. The village is soon reached and the
mountains ahead do not really look that big. The small strip
of asphalt enters forest. When crossing to the right side of
the river an obvious pass ahead looks like today's
destination. Instead the road starts climbing the hillside
in extremely steep switchbacks in the forest. A clearing is
reached and the narrow strip climbs up between two
pairs of buildings that almost seem to touch the road.
Soon the actual pass becomes visible, while to the
south a horn like mountain seems to reach above the
surrounding horizon. The top is still forested and there is
a mountain hut that does dispense water, food, lodging and
other things (obviousely only when it's open). I spoke with
a local cycling couple there who told me of their route,
which included a portage up from the Austrian side from
Rattendorf.
From West. (described downwards). It is not so much
the far views that make this pass so interesting, but the
roughness of the immediate surroundings. A sharp downgrade
leads by a very photogenic waterfall. Another one-buiding
settlement with a small barking dog marks the turnoff to
Strangleralm, which is another unpaved way to descend into
Austria. The pass road negotiates a few scenic switchbacks in
a valley meadow and starts climbing to a second smaller
summit. The foliage here seems to be even denser as the road
makes itself through a tunnel of green, traversing above a
deep green slot in the mountains. Soon a clearing shows the
descend into the town of Paulero. The road stays as narrow and
curvy until the final bend into town. Extended Tour: back to Cycling Passes in Europe 
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||