Point of departure is the FS train station at Longarone on the Venezia-Calalzo di Cadore line. Upon leaving the station turn left to backtrack along the statale [state road] SS51 for a few hundred meters/yards; at the first intersection take the left turn for Pordenone-Valcellina. The statale is plagued with very heavy traffic and just to get across the intersection is a major ordeal.
Descend to and cross the bridge over the Piave, then turn left and soon after you start to climb to the dam at Vajont, a climb that at first is rather punishing but then becomes increasingly easy; at the end of the climb you come to a series of unlighted galleries; a bit of light comes through from the frequent openings on the right; it is advisable therefore at a minimum to have a red light on the back of your bike, and it is recommended also that you take a breather in one of the openings from which there are beautiful views towards the Piave valley, the village of Longarone, and towards the dam at Vajont.
After the galleries, and a few kilometers of ups and downs, you will be at the Sant’Osvaldo pass; then there is a long descent towards Cimolais and Cellino as far as the Lago [lake] di Barcis (beware: on Sundays during the summer the road is heavily infested with motor vehicles). After Barcis continue by going through a series of galleries (one is almost 4 km/2.5 miles long, however it is well lighted) as far as Montereale Valcellina from where one can continue to Pordenone on a road in a gentle descent.
A variation of considerable historic interest has you leaving the statale after the first gallery and following the old statale, now abandoned, and which runs through narrow gorges along the stream, up to where it rejoins the new statale just before Montereale Valcellina. (NB as of August 2001 this section of road was closed by (*)ANAS with padlocks and barbed wire; a good example of how in Italy roads are simply left to ruin that could be converted to bicycle/pedestrian paths. And the cyclist is forced to use the tunnel for 4 km/2.5 miles).
At Pordenone there is an FS train station with frequent trains on the Venezia-Udine line.
Latest visit: 2001-08-05