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Ten
years ago, just in this period, the great enterprise of first
CamminaItalia ended and walkers, left from S.Teresa
di Gallura and leaded
by Teresio Valsesia, got Trieste after eight months of trek. Just as
those mountaineers,
I have always had the dream of crossing an entire mountain
range, in full respect of walkers and envinroment. So in 2005
expedition Alpibike2005 is born in 2005, under the supervision of
Italian Alpine Club section of Este, along an itinerary which
is inspired by, and partially follows, the route “Sentiero
Italia”. I don’t know other full-length crossing of Alps:
perhaps mine is the first… to readers the hard answer. My long travel, about 2400 km and 60000 meters of height difference, was fully ended by me, some days in company of 20 people of CAI and CAS Ticino: 7 legs in company, 43 alone, with a 20 kg baggage, following mainly dirt roads and mule tracks. Publishing house Kompass offers to us entire set of maps and Nalini give as a gift the bike cloths: thanks very much to these two important sponsors ! Tour
started on July 17th, 2005 from Trieste and ended to
Ventimiglia in the afternoon of September, 10th:
there, just as I had promised, I got into the water of
Tirrenian Sea by bike ! Route was very challenging, mainly because
the weight of baggage, despite my efforts to reduce it: but the
passes at 3000 meters of altitude obliged me to have also mountain
jacket, pile, gloves, pant salopette and moreover sheet bag for
refuge, torch, safety lock to keep away bicycles thieves moved
themselves at high altitude… so, a lot of things! Often I had to
push up my bike by foot, sometimes for hard ground, sometimes for
excessive slope: the satisfaction of success without a car had been
very larger than the hard work. I
always slept with a roof above my head, in refuges, small hotels,
farms and holiday houses: so I was able to have a hot shower
everyday and avoided extra-weight of tent, sleeping bag and mat, in
addition to stay in a warm house instead of
damp air or even cold, just as in days about August, 20th
! I had no sickness or disease during tour; also technical troubles
were very few, all for wear ( inner
tubes, rim brakes, oil for front suspension), and easily solved,
despite of the trouble to find bike shops well equipped, with the
exception of Trentino and Alto Adige: the bicycle provided by Cicli
Jordan of Rubano (Padua)
proved to be excellent. Travelling alone is not unpleasant for me, rather it encouraged me to talk to everyone was interested in my journey: meetings had been many and I made some new friends . I remember with pleasure grandmother and her little niece of Achomitzer Alm, Mr.Domenis, producer of grappa at Cividale del Friuli, met in Forni Avoltri, the casaro of Casera vecchia near head of Piave river, the hut managers, Paola Cavalleri from Olgiate, a very kind girl, Giuliano Machieraldo from Aosta, who brought me one cycle tyre, very important in that moment, the two pretty english girls known in Elisabetta Hut, bikers met in Cuneo province, volcanic Manola of Allavena Hut and many, many others. Many thanks to all the CAI members who gave hospitality and helped me: particular thanks to Vulkan Group of Trieste, to SAT of Cles, to Dongo section and Ticino CAS section, to Teresio Valsesia Major di Macugnaga, to mr.Zanetti alderman of Valtournanche, to Viù and Susa sections and to Roberto Bergese from Moncalieri.
Technical details
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