Jaime SierraAt six in the morning, Lake Como is perfectly still, a mirror reflecting the first light of day. The beach is peaceful now despite the August crowds and late-night barbecues. Even so, I managed some sleep. Breakfast comes in unexpected good company, Flor and her father, José Ernesto, before I set off towards Colico and the start of the Sentiero Valtellina. Following the Adda upstream, the cycle path crosses fields, villages, and stretches of engineered river. Along the way I meet Sergo, nearly eighty and still touring by bike. After riding together for a while, we part ways at Decathlon, where I replace a few missing items and recharge my power bank.
Running late, I skip Sondrio and continue through woodland and orchards to Tirano, where I stop for lunch beside the tracks of the Bernina Express. By mid-afternoon I begin the climb towards Bormio, whose ascent is harder than expected, with steep ramps that repeatedly break the rhythm. After a welcomed stop in Sondalo, I continue into an increasingly dramatic valley. Signs warn of landslide closures, but the alternative is a long tunnel, so I press on. Waterfalls cascade down the mountainsides, and the scar of a catastrophic landslide dominates the landscape. The closure itself turns out to be little more than a few rocks on the road—another example of what I call the Italian “liability syndrome.” Beyond it, Bormio appears, framed by a magnificent ring of mountains.
After 114 kilometres, the Sentiero Valtellina ends. I continue to a natural thermal pool, the perfect reward after a long day in the saddle. Back at a comfortable bivouac spot, I pitch the tent, eat dinner, watch a few stars, and fall asleep to the sound of the torrent I will follow upstream tomorrow.
Tomorrow it's Stelvio day.
#cycling #cicloturista #cycletouring #valtellina #Alps #italy #lombrdia #bormio #nature #naturephotography #views
Running late, I skip Sondrio and continue through woodland and orchards to Tirano, where I stop for lunch beside the tracks of the Bernina Express. By mid-afternoon I begin the climb towards Bormio, whose ascent is harder than expected, with steep ramps that repeatedly break the rhythm. After a welcomed stop in Sondalo, I continue into an increasingly dramatic valley. Signs warn of landslide closures, but the alternative is a long tunnel, so I press on. Waterfalls cascade down the mountainsides, and the scar of a catastrophic landslide dominates the landscape. The closure itself turns out to be little more than a few rocks on the road—another example of what I call the Italian “liability syndrome.” Beyond it, Bormio appears, framed by a magnificent ring of mountains.
After 114 kilometres, the Sentiero Valtellina ends. I continue to a natural thermal pool, the perfect reward after a long day in the saddle. Back at a comfortable bivouac spot, I pitch the tent, eat dinner, watch a few stars, and fall asleep to the sound of the torrent I will follow upstream tomorrow.
Tomorrow it's Stelvio day.
#cycling #cicloturista #cycletouring #valtellina #Alps #italy #lombrdia #bormio #nature #naturephotography #views
