In Search of Singletrack in the Alps

"Per Löwdin" wrote in message
...
Was this recent. I.E. the last couple of years? The signs were
probably
put there by a non official source.

It was in July and August 2000. The signs were highly official I am
afraid.
There is in fact a law which banns cycling on any path that is more
narrow
than 1 metre. In most places no one cares but in Cortina the local
authorities have put up signs in a lot of places. It was quite
disappointing.

The info is dated from 1998 some things are sure to have changed.

Maybe, as I wrote,
http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/singletrack...0/Cortina.html, we did
not
feel at ease at all in Cortina, so it will be a while before we go
back.

We stayed at a campground named "Dolomite". There was an american that
worked there. His name is John. He has lived there for the last 25
years.
He used to herd cattle up on the hills there. He is the one that gave
us
the info on the trails. If you go again ask around for John the
American.
Everyone knows him there. He will point you in the direction of the
good
rides.

We stayed at a place called Rocchetta, if I recall it correctly, down by
the
river. Have camped there several times, as we have been climbing around
Cortina a couple of times. In August it was extremely overprized. The
rides
we did were not bad. But there was not much singletrack. Considering the
cost and effort of going there it was not worth the money. There is much
better riding in Livigno or Lago di Garda.

Cortina is a peculiar place. It is a kind of playground for really rich
people of the most boring kind kind one can imagine. Don´t even have sense
to have some fun with their money. Among the self styled classic resorts,
Cortina, Chamonix, Zermatt, Kitzbuhl, St Anton, St Moritz and Davos, it is
certainly the one that it is least worthwhile to visit: lots of
interdictive
signs about cycling, to climb you have to ride a car to the foot of the
climb, and there is rarely any snow and if there is the pistes are not
even
half as good as in any of the other "classic" resorts.

Now, if you can find good rides around Cortina that is fine, but we will
certainly look elsewhere for good rides. Don´t like to feel like some kind
of felon when we go for a ride.

Per
http://lowdin.nu

That is awful to hear. I really enjoyed my trip there. If I ever go again.
I will check out Livigno.

TJ

Per Lowdin writes:

We stayed at a campground named "Dolomite". There was an American
that worked there. His name is John. He has lived there for the
last 25 years. He used to herd cattle up on the hills there. He
is the one that gave us the info on the trails. If you go again
ask around for John the American. Everyone knows him there. He
will point you in the direction of the good rides.

We stayed at a place called Rocchetta, if I recall it correctly,
down by the river. Have camped there several times, as we have been
climbing around Cortina a couple of times. In August it was
extremely overpriced. The rides we did were not bad. But there was
not much single-track. Considering the cost and effort of going
there it was not worth the money. There is much better riding in
Livigno or Lago di Garda.

I don't know what you find "better riding" than around Cortina. I
find the Dolomites, and especially the mountains around Cortina, one of
the most scenically beautiful areas in the alps. Besides that, the
area is full of old military roads from the first and second world
wars. When I first visited there, many of the roads were not yet
paved and the military roads were an extension of the main routes.

Cortina is a peculiar place. It is a kind of playground for really
rich people of the most boring kind kind one can imagine. Don?t even
have sense to have some fun with their money. Among the self styled
classic resorts, Cortina, Chamonix, Zermatt, Kitzbuhl, St Anton, St
Moritz and Davos, it is certainly the one that it is least
worthwhile to visit: lots of interdictive signs about cycling, to
climb you have to ride a car to the foot of the climb, and there is
rarely any snow and if there is the pistes are not even half as good
as in any of the other "classic" resorts.

I have not seen any of the restrictive signs you mention and have not
had a problem riding on some of these fascinating roads. You must
have gotten on trails reserved for hikers near town.

http://tinyurl.com/u5nq

See day 14.

I have found inexpensive lodging in some of the ski hotels in Cortina
that choose to remain open in summer. Cortina is a beautiful town,
with a wonderful pedestrian mall center and wonderful shops.
Unfortunately the train that Peter Sellers rode into town in the first
Pink Panther movie no longer runs, its southern terminus having been
destroyed by the dam disaster of Longarone:

http://tinyurl.com/adls

Now, if you can find good rides around Cortina that is fine, but we
will certainly look elsewhere for good rides. Don't like to feel
like some kind of felon when we go for a ride.

I never miss visiting Cortina on my tours of the Alps for its breath
taking scenery and wonderful roads. Don't sell it short.

Jobst Brandt

I don't know what you find "better riding" than around Cortina. I
find the Dolomites, and especially the mountains around Cortina, one of
the most scenically beautiful areas in the alps. Besides that, the
area is full of old military roads from the first and second world
wars. When I first visited there, many of the roads were not yet
paved and the military roads were an extension of the main routes.

- yes, many roads in Europe were originally constructed for military
purposes. On the other hand, if it is not restricted in some respect a road
is a road. Most would not even know its history. There is also another type
of military "road" in the Dolomites, known as Via Ferrata (lit., iron road),
originally it was a military climbing path that could be hiked with heavy
loads. There are rails, ladders, and wires to clip into. There are plenty of
via ferratas around Cortina, on Tofana
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomites0876.JPG, Cristallo
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomites0881.JPG,
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomites0884.JPG, Croda Passaporto
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomites0871.JPG, Paternkofel
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomites0862.JPG

There are more climbing images from the Dolomites here
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis90/Dolomit90.html,
http://www.lowdin.nu/Treks/Wallis92/Climbing92.htm

I have not seen any of the restrictive signs you mention and have not
had a problem riding on some of these fascinating roads. You must
have gotten on trails reserved for hikers near town.

We were searching for singletrack and we found that most of the trails we
would have like to ride were "reserved" for hikers, in fact we did not ride
any singletrack worth mentioning around Cortina. However, some of these
trails were far from town: e.g., by Tre Cime Lavaredo, Forcella Falzarego.

Now, with regard to road riding it is an alltogether different matter. The
main road along the floor of the valley is a bit busy, would not be too much
fun, but otherwise there are plenty of winding mountain roads, that can be
great fun. Though, if we had road bikes, and let us say a week only in the
Dolomites, I think we would chose Canazei: a place I like far more both for
climbing and mountainbiking. From what I understand there is some
outstanding road riding too: e.g., around the Sellas.

Unfortunately the train that Peter Sellers rode into town in the first
Pink Panther movie no longer runs, its southern terminus having been
destroyed by the dam disaster of Longarone:

Is there a train at all? Most of the rail roads in the Dolomities seems to
have been scrapped. Every other town has an ancient railway station but no
trains, even the rails are gone, saw the same phenomena in the Colorado
Rockies this summer.


Now, if you can find good rides around Cortina that is fine, but we
will certainly look elsewhere for good rides. Don't like to feel
like some kind of felon when we go for a ride.

I never miss visiting Cortina on my tours of the Alps for its breath
taking scenery and wonderful roads. Don't sell it short.

Well, as I wrote: "Would we go back to Cortina? Yes, if we are
multi-millionaires when we are eighty four we might fit in. For mountain
biking there are many places that are far more friendly in Italy."

By the way, we spent a long time last night enjoying your gallery
http://www-math.science.unitn.it/Bik..._Alps/Gallery/
Absolutely, splendid photos.

Per

On Sat, 8 Nov 2003, TJ wrote:
That is awful to hear. I really enjoyed my trip there. If I ever go again.
I will check out Livigno.

Oh, my God!
I know of no other such ****ty place, like Livigno.

Sergio
Pisa

Oh, my God! I know of no other such ****ty place, like Livigno.

Hold it! It's not Livigno but the roads and trails in that area that
are worth riding. I for one think the Alpisella Pass is a beautiful
route and exiting through the tunnel to the Ofen Pass gets into
especially great territory.

I agree, there are some splendid rides, the Alpisella Pass had some
wonderful switchbacks, though they seemed to build a road destroying them
when we were there. There is still plenty to ride, on both sides of the
border.

Livigno has some frontier character, they have special tax priveledges etc.
A good thing about it is that better bikes are more affordable. There were
some bikeshops that were excellent, as good as in San Franscisco, both road
bikes and MTB, had the very latest Cannondales, plenty of Merlin frames in
stock, etc.

Per
http://www.lowdin.nu/MTB/MTB.html

On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 wrote:
Sergio Servadio writes:

Oh, my God! I know of no other such ****ty place, like Livigno.

Hold it! It's not Livigno but the roads and trails in that area that
are worth riding.

I second that.
Let me add that I usually try to avoid lodging in Livigno.

To the east, in Fuldera, just above Santa Maria, there's a wonderful
hotel run by an old bikie.

Is that, by any chance, on the left hand side, in the midst of that
beautiful spruce forest with signs pointing to very old trees in the area?
If so, please give me detailed directions, and set a date for us to meet.

See you

Sergio
Pisa

Wrap up warm sonny or you'll catch yer death of cold y'know.



Shaun aRe