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Monte Grappa

turbo7. 05. 2023 16:18:42

Friday, 28.4.2023 - cycling ascent-

Monte Grappa is a 1775m high peak in the Venetian Alps (Alpi Venete) or rather in their prealpine world. At the top, where you can drive by car, there's an ossuary, a sad monument to the events of the First World War, there's also some kind of open-air museum and of course a mountain hut. Grappa is actually a mountain massif, paths lead to the main summit from all directions, there's also a via ferrata and Direttissima. Even more than among hikers, it's popular among cyclists, as ten different roads lead to the top - in the valley you get a logbook where you stamp at the starting point (usually in a tavern) and at the top in the hut. If you do all the ascents in one calendar year, you get a plaque or some kind of recognition. Besides cycling (road and MTB) and hiking, paragliders and pilots also get their share, sometimes there are so many paragliders in the sky that it's almost impossible to count them.

I did the ascent by bike from Romano d'Ezzelino, I had my holiday home at the first bend of Strada Cadorna, which leads to the top of Grappa. It's the easiest ascent, but you need to do 1600m ascent on a 25km long road. Average gradient is over 6%, maximum according to some data 12% and according to others just over 10%. With some small snack midway up the ascent, the gradient doesn't ease from the start, the very beginning is also the most demanding.

The ascent was a great pleasure for me, despite the considerable effort, so I'll definitely head to the mountain again, both by bike and on foot. Might be this autumn already, as I'll spend the potato holidays there again. nasmeh