Monte Cavallo - On and Off in Friuli

From the Pedemontana that connects Cordignano with Maniago, the road climbs towards Pian del Cansiglio. After the Alpini headquarters and the restaurant, on the right after a very tight bend, the road that leads to Lama di Som starts. From there, a dirt climb starts that leads to some huts and continues up to Piancavallo.

Two friends, with a V-Strom and a Tiger 1200 with 19″ wheels and that little anxiety of someone who hasn't dirty the tires off the road and without too much hesitation we set off in the direction Aviano. It has been several years since my old Superténéré without electronics, so, playing with the keypad on the left I remember to deactivate the traction control before finding the loose stones.

A few hundred meters and old memories resurface. There motorcycle does not suffer too much from the roughness, despite the excursion of the shock absorbers is not high and the ground clearance neither, the winter tires, the Anlas Winter Grip Plus give anyway safety to both. We continue to the maximum in second gear: the first section is a stony path immersed in the woods, bucolic in summer a bit sad in winter with bare trees and dry branches, some sections are in concrete with deep grooves to drain the water and the rather wide drains make the bikes jump. As you go up the road becomes more loose, with stones that emerge from the ground and deep longitudinal furrows, a little difficult to overcome, but the confidence is felt and I continue calmly avoiding the biggest obstacles while I turn around every now and then. to make sure Domenico is behind. Arrived at the first crossroads, ignoring the indication for "Piancavallo" I notice another road, let's try!

The arrival was expected in Piancavallo but, once we reach the top and found the first snow, we stop to let a caravan of quads pass. Meanwhile, a cyclist also stops and suggests a detour: instead of going up and reaching our destination, we can go down an even more challenging road that would take us back a couple of kilometers further than where we had deviated to make our dirt road, precisely to the Malga. Coda di Bosco. Taken by enthusiasm, we abandon the initial destination that had a flavor of adventure ended, to continue through new tracks.

We reach the coveted hut, without particular difficulty and rightly takes the stop with beer and a plate of potatoes. Having found the warmth and energy, we resume our journey descending again towards Caneva and climbing for the second time along the first asphalted stretch that leads us to Lama di Som. We then reach the other dirt road that will take us back to Polcenigo on the Pedemontana. Here the bottom is more compact, although on a steep slope, but in many places a thick layer of gravel has been laid to level the holes, with the effect of creating an almost sandy road. In the curves you have to be careful not to sink the front but after a few kilometers the road becomes "natural" again, offering a splendid panorama.

Good road to all and remember that "Roads are made for travel, not for destinations" (Confucius).

WE WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU HAVE NOT BEEN YET