Easter 2009

Hello,

I have some thought of going to Bergamo (or possibly Mallorca) over the Easter. (7-14th April) Is there anyone else interested in joining? (I asked in my bicycle club at home about Mallorca, but they have difficult deciding and differing plans ... .) (I probably book a flight soon as prices tend to go up quickly around holidays .... .) /Jerry

Hello,
Just to note that I have booked a flight for Bergamo : 4-14 April (cycling 5-13 april). If anyone is interested in joining, let me know. Or if you have suggestions on where to stay and go?! (Bergamo might be best to stay in, but conceivable I could take the train a bit away from here.)
Most BIGs are a little bit away from Bergamo, but maybe I take the train 1-2 of the days to get further away and climb a few BIGs. Possible BIGs:
Madonna del Ghisallo
Monte Croce di Muggio
Monte Legnoncino
Monte Bisbino
Maybe (probably only possible if using a train):
Menarola
Campo dei Fiori
San Martino
Passo Cuvignone
Il Mottarone
Val Malenco
Rifugio Alpo
Passo di Tremalzo

For fun here are my utopian *plans* for the 9 days this Easter:
1. Bergamo 247
Villa Colle Pasta 424
Trescore Balneario 271
Colle di Caf (etc.) 1242
Iseo 198
Valico di Capöss 879
Marone 189
Colmetto (Croce di Marone) 1166
Lóvere 188
Forcellino di Bianzano 664

2. Bergamo 247
Forcellino di Bianzano 664
Lóvere 188
Plan di Montecampione 1744
bivio Strada del Beato/Via Vigne 250
Valico Croce di Salven 1109
Dèzzo 749
Passo/Giogo della Presolana 1297

3. Bergamo 247
Forcella di Monte di Nese 880
Nembro 309
Colle di Caposelvino 936
Rigosa (bivio Sambusita) 572
Valico di Salmezza/Salmeggia 1106
Gazzaniga 386
Alpe Vaccaro 1517 (eh... 12% 8,5km)
Ponte Selva 476
Monte Pora 1453
Ponte Nossa 405
Conca del Farno 1278

4. Bergamo 247
Forcella di Berbenno 708
Brembilla 425
Cascine della Forcella 955
Lavina 664
Culmine San Pietro 1254
Ballabio Inferiore 662
Forcellino (Piani Resinelli) 1276
Calolziocorte 215
Colle di Sogno 954
bivio Valcava 626
Valico/Passo di Valcava 1340

5. train Como S. Giovanni 201
Monte Bisbino 1290
Cernobbio 201
Albergo Bellavista (Monte Generoso) 1202
bivio Salorino (Mendrisio) 364
Passo Bonello 1142 (gravel road)
Casásco 822
Bocca d'Orimento 1275
San Fedele d’Intelvi 731
Bocchetta di Galbiga/Rifugio Venini 1576

6. train Varese 382
Campo dei Fiori 1217
Cuveglio 283
San Martino al Culmine 1079
Cittiglio 264
Passo Cuvignone 1036
Magadino Vira 208
Passo di Neggia 1388

7. train Prata Camportaccio 297
<-> Pratella 999
San Vittore 274
Alpe Malona 980
Gordona 280
Menarola 1057
Bellágio 216
Madonna/Passo del Ghisallo 754
bivio Sormano 497
Colma del Piano/di Sormano 1122
Oggiono 268
Giovenzana 663

8. train Sondrio 297
Chiareggio - Val Malenco 1612
Chiesa 943
Diga di Campomoro (Alpe Gera) 2013
Sondrio (bivio Triangia) 444
Triangia 797
Berbenno 370
Prato Maslino - Rifugio Marinella 1650
bivio Tartano 263
Cà+Somvalle 1080
Morbegno 262
Passo San Marco 1985 (if not, then Preda Rossa or Campei or Cà Bianca)

9. Bergamo 247
Passo Valbona 1427 (gravel)
Morterone 1038
Forcella d'Olino 1156
Taceno 429
Alpe Giumello 1536
Treménico 739
Rifugio Roccoli dei Lorla/Monte Legnoncino 1456

Fantastic programm, indeed !
No snow in this period ?

daniel gobert wrote:

Fantastic programm, indeed !
No snow in this period ?

I hope not, but apparently there has been a lot of snow down the in the Italian Alps this Winter (from what I have heard) and Pass San Marco was impassable last year in May -- but I hope roads on the south slopes are snow free up to 1500m or so at least ... seems reasonable from some prior photos I have seen ... we'll see, but I guess I will have to cut some climbs out if snow and maybe it will be rainy -- you never know ... .

This winter has been snowiest of last the 50 years. Till now the temperatures have been lowlands and therefore it will not be easy to find all open the alpine valichi for Easter

Henry wrote:

This winter has been snowiest of last the 50 years. Till now the temperatures have been lowlands and therefore it will not be easy to find all open the alpine valichi for Easter

Hmm ... I guess it will be a reprise of last Easter on Corse then ;-/


Typical ... let's hope it will get really warm down there for some weeks now :-). Wishful thinking ..... . /Jerry

And the results (of course I could not do it all) (climbs and all passes listed).

Day1: 4317m, 169 km, 22% max, 7-21°C
Forcella di Berbenno 708
Forcella di Bura 884
Culmine San Pietro 1254
Colle di Balisio 723
Piani Resinelli/Forcellino 1276 (went the loop and up Alta Via to ca. 1450m)
Colle di Sogno 954
Valico/Passo di Valcava 1340
Forcella Alta 1310

Day 2: 4142m, 208 km, 25%, 8-25°C
Tribulina San Giovanni 336 (corresponds to a pass, but few "Tribulina" in the Cent Cols catalogue does)
Colle dei Pasta 424
Bocche di Gavarno 462 (is probably on the main road really ... after discussion with a local at the higher Piazze)
Colle Zuccone 697
Colle di San Fermo 1067
Colle Ballerino 1208
Colle di Caf 1242
il Colletto 1281
Cucche (il Coletto) 1189
Colli Galena 1162
Sella (Cima Campidelli) 1153
Sella 1168 (R1)
Colle Martinazzo 1030 (R1)
Colle Dedine 1016 (some R1)
Passo dei Tre Termini/Pah dei Tre Termegn 701
Valico di Capöss 879
Croce di Marone/Colmetto 1166 (asphalt with some concrete)
Forcella di Gasso 1126 (R1)
Conca Verde/Clusone 665 (a conca is not a pass, but in this case it is)

Day 3: 3942m, 195 km, 23%, 8-25°C
Forcellino di Bianzano 664
Solto Collina (also a pass ca. 460m)
Foppa della Luna (?) 1025 (claimed to be a pass in the Cent Cols catalogue, but no "foppa" in that catalogue corresponds to a pass however ... )
Plan di Montecampione 1744
Strada del Beato/Via Vigne to Valico Croce di Salven 1109
Passo/Giogo della Presolana 1297
Clusone/Conca Verde 665

Day 4: 4265m, 182 km, 19%, ?°C
Campo dei Fiori 1217
Passo Motta Rossa 565
Passo Cuvignone 1036
Passo di Sant'Antonio 647
Passo di San Michele 890
Alpe/Passo di Neggia 1395
La Fòrcora/Passo di Forcora 1179

Day 5: 4287m, 175,5 km, 26%, 8-26°C
Forcella di Monte di Nese 880
Colle di Caposelvino 936
Osteria La Passata 964
Valico di Salmezza/Salmeggia 1106
Colle Botto 1026
Passate di Ganda 1045
Alpe Vaccaro 1517
Clusone/Conca Verde 665
Colle di Vareno 1373

Day 6: 3390m, 125 km, 26%, 11-26°C
Monte Bisbino 1290 (claimed to also be a pass in a fine Italian book on the greatest passes of Lombardia that the B&B had where I stayed in Bergamo)
Cascina d’Armirone 1120 (pass, I think)
Albergo Bellavista (Monte Generoso) 1202 (train station)
Monte 678
Passo Bonello 1142 (gravel pass R1)
San Fedele d’Intelvi 731 (pass, but no name)

Day 7: 3120m, 98 km, 26%, 8-25°C
Chiareggio - Val Malenco 1612 (had to stop several kilometres before at ca. 1500m)
Triangia 797
Prato Maslino - Rifugio Marinella 1650 (stopped a kilometre before the end where the gravel started near the end).

Day 8: 3413m, 167,5 km, 20-25%, 12-22°C
Bocchetta di Colonno 1323
Bocchetta di Boffalora 1234
Bocchetta di Lenno 1495
Bocchetta di Galbiga/Rifugio Venini 1576
Passo della Cava 1142

Day 9: 3818m, 205,5 km, 25%, 11-33°C
Pratella 999 (very hard/steep good new(?) road)
Menarola 1057 (stopped at the last bit of asphalt at ca. 1200m)
Madonna/Passo del Ghisallo 754
Colma del/Piano di Sormano (via Muro) 1122
Galbiate ?