Cover image courtesy @Matteo Minelli

The sun was low in the sky as we scrambled upwards pushing our heavily loaded bikes. Each one of us picking a slightly different route up the rocky path that meandered vaguely ahead of us, our bodies tired from the heat and elevation we had already faced that day.

This hike-a-bike took us to our highest point on the route, 2300m across Col Duro. We wondered why the event organiser Andrea would send us this way, but it soon became clear. The view from the top was breathtaking. A rock-strewn traverse led across towards Crodo di Lago and one of the most dramatic and perfect ‘I must be dreaming’ stretches of mountain singletrack I’ve ever seen unfolded in front of me. This was the point the mountain bikers amongst us had their time to shine, the lingering dust kicked up in the evening’s light was the only sign of their passing as I picked my way through the remnants of landslides that littered the trail. Little tears of happiness pooled in my eyes and blurred my vision, slowing me further. I was in no rush to get off this mountain anyway.

“Little tears of happiness pooled in my eyes and blurred my vision”

Photo courtesy @Matteo Minelli

Starting in the walled medieval city of Cittadella, about 50km west of Venice at the toes of the Dolomites, the Veneto Trail is a mixed terrain bikepacking event with a slightly different route each year. The 2022 edition headed north up to Cortina, roughly 50/50 paved and unpaved with 10,000m of climbing over the 450kms and all the interpretations of ‘gravel’ covered. From smooth ‘almost tarmac’ cycle paths along rivers and lakes, well-worn fireroad tracks that zigzagged up mountain sides, all the way to loose rubble trails that have you biting your lip, picking a slender line and wondering why you didn’t bring your full suspension mountainbike.

The event is named Veneto TRAIL for a reason It’s primarily aimed at mountain bikes, but it’s ridable (mostly) on a gravel bike. That is if you’re fairly confident on loose and rocky terrain and enjoy a little walk with your bike once in a while. It’s good to use a different muscle group occasionally anyway right? Luckily, I had fitted my Mason Bokeh with Hunt 650b Adventure Dynamo Disc wheels and a pair of Teravail Rutland 2.1s and I felt it was the ideal bike for the job, although my knees would have thanked me for a lower gear than my 1x setup allowed. 

“This is Italy, it doesn’t need to be rushed”

A mountain top refugio dinner and bed for the night awaited me after that hike a bike. The relaxed atmosphere of this event means there was time to stop for three course meals with the new friends you’ve met during the day. We take photos, swim in lakes and enjoy plentiful gelato and coffee breaks on route. This is Italy, it doesn’t need to be rushed. 

Photo courtesy @Matteo Minelli

It also meant that when a couple of us were enjoying the Dolomites so much we had time to add on an extra little loop, Matteo Minelli, the Italian born Granguanche organiser who I had met when riding his Gravel Audax event earlier this year knew the area and had an “easy loop just north of Cortina” that we could add on, “a rest day where we can relax, clean some clothes and wait for some other riders to come through.” It was anything but easy with 1320m of climbing packed into its 29km, though he redeemed himself with a crystal clear swimming spot half way up the hottest climb. I couldn’t have been happier to jump in, fully submerge myself in the cold water and wash off the sweat and grime of the past few hours riding.

Photo courtesy @Matteo Minelli

Thankfully the following day had rain forecast, an excuse for that rest day we never achieved yesterday. We reached the beautiful Refugio Citta di Carpi at around 2pm with thunderstorms forecast for 3ish. We could crack on, but really, what was the hurry? It was beautiful up there. I could write more about this place, but the photos tell you all you need to know. We decided to go for a short hike without our bikes for a change and then shelter in the cosy wooden building until the storms passed. 

“Thunder rumbled up the valley and water poured from the roof”

A couple of coffees, cake and a hot chocolate later it became clear that none of us were going anywhere that night, or in fact until lunchtime the following day. Thunder rumbled up the valley and water poured from the roof. I had no desire to go out in the downpour and riding up there with lightning flashing around seemed foolish. Fellow riders Ernesto and Rob decided to wait it out too. This is why I enjoy touring so much more than racing - there’s no pressure to keep riding when it might be dangerous, stupid, or just downright unpleasant, plus we only paid €60 for dinner, bed and breakfast and spent 22 hours in the most beautiful surroundings.

“This landslip wasn’t there when the route was checked the previous week”

When we eventually left the refugio we were expecting an easy roll down to the towns below. What actually faced us was a series of landslides with whole sections of the track washed down the hill. Water had also carved a new path directly down the mountainside requiring more pushing and carrying over logs and rocks until we reached the safety of tarmac. This wasn’t the end of it though as it was just a couple of minutes rolling along the road before we were confronted by another massive landslide blocking our way. Later we found this landslip wasn’t there when the route was checked the previous week. 

Eventually safely down from the mountains we followed a wide valley trending downhill all day. Later on, we caught up to some other riders who had left the refugio earlier. We ordered coffee and ice-cream and relaxed while they packed up the clothes that had been hung over their bikes to dry out. we ride on together to a camping spot for the night.

One more big climb remained with at least five false summits. I had forgotten to charge my Garmin and the pace was too slow for my dynamo to help, so swiping right for the comfort of elevation information wasn’t an option. I just kept grinding on in my too-hard-a-gear. It couldn’t go on forever could it? Eventually, a series of 14 switchbacks took us down to a lake, the heat steadily rising as we descended. Of course, we couldn’t resist another swim. There was even an outdoor shower to rinse off afterwards.

“The jagged mountain tops of the previous days gave way to rolling hills and vineyards”

The jagged mountain tops of the previous days gave way to rolling hills and vineyards. We stopped in a shady square for lunch in the picturesque town of Asolo. This was prosecco country, local produce that I decide best to sample with my dinner once we got back to Cittadella. I love how Italy is so proud of its regional cuisine and throughout the trip we ate an array of local meats and cheeses. The Dolomites have a strong Austrian influence too, I’ve lost count of the slices of strudel I’d eaten. 

We stopped for a little too long in Asolo, long enough to get caught in a huge thunderstorm just 5km from Cittadella. This wasn’t English rain - this was the kind of rain that flooded the streets with inches of water before turning to hailstones the size of marbles. If I’d been on my own, I’d have stopped to shelter, but together with my new friends we battled on, soaked to the skin and laughing as we finally arrived back at the cafe by the main square where the adventure had all started. It was sad to say goodbye to the new friends that I’d made, but I was sure our paths would cross again sometime on another route in another country.

“I chased new friends in golden light along singletrack to our refugio home for the night. “

Two days later, I sheltered from the sun by a small canal in a Venetian backstreet. Just metres away, the herds of tourists flowed clumsily through the narrow streets in the sticky heat. I closed my eyes and took myself back to that evening, the fresh mountain air filling my lungs as I chased new friends in golden light along singletrack to our refugio home for the night. 

Photo courtesy @Matteo Minelli