BIKEPACKING VENETO
By Marie-Louise K
In May this year, when the Giro d’Italia came to an end, we found ourselves on the slopes of Monte Grappa, waiting impatiently for the peloton to reach us. It was exhilarating to know we had got there under our own steam, having only unpacked our bikes that morning, under the flightpath of Venice airport, before making our way in the (pouring) rain through the vineyards and rain soaked cycle trails to reach the bustling town of Bassano del Grappa, where fortunately the sun made its appearance, and eager crowds awaited us awash with pink, memorabilia, and signs wishing Geraint a happy birthday.
Our trip to the Monte Grappa region was something we'd had in the pipeline for a while. 500 kilometres of gravel mixed in with cycle paths, quiet back roads, and abandoned mountain passes – it is a bikepacking dream. We split the route up in such a way that it took us five days to complete, with champagne (or should I say, prosecco?) gravel, and many beautiful towns to pause and rehydrate in along the way, it made for both beautiful and relaxing riding. It can often be tempting these days to think that if you don't do a challenge that pushes you to your limits, it's not worth doing. But I'd humbly suggest that in a world where we are increasingly busy and facing ever more frantic schedules, a holiday that keeps you moving but still allows you to unwind is more important than ever.
Day Two took us from Bassano del Grappa, on a loop south through some of the Gravel Worlds Course of 2022, back to Bassano – thankfully, as bike drama meant a pit stop was required to rescue the whole trip – but more on that later… We then headed north, carving through the mountainside to Seren del Grappa. It is possible to push on to Feltre where there are more accommodation options, but we were treated to a small guest house with a bustling restaurant in this sleepy little village atop a hill that we did not regret for one moment! This was to be the first of two Gravel Worlds Routes we explored on our trip and this one was certainly heavier on the singletrack. Good fun was still had however, and its flat nature meant it was never too technical.
Day Three was a more direct point-to-point kind of day, where we rode 115km through to Susegana. Cutting on through the mountains, and then through Belluno, I can only describe this day as being like riding through a moving postcard. The views were constantly impressive and ever changing – I have never been more captivated by the world around me! 880m of climbing meant it was not too heavy on the hills, and this allowed all the more time to enjoy said spread of views. We stopped on the shores of Lago di Santa Croce where we enjoyed a lunch that needed to be seen to be believed, before pressing on to Vittorio Veneto for gelato. This town is ancient and fascinating for its old architecture and having ridden down the fast, sweeping roads to get there, it feels a luxury to stop again so soon – but bikepacking is made for moments such as those, if you ask me. 😊
Day Four we planned in a day of ditching the bags for a circular route of the Prosecco region – our second foray into a Worlds course. This one was characterised by steep climbs, there’s no getting away from it, it was definitely a day I was glad not to have luggage with me! That being said, winding through endless vineyards, terraced up the hillside, was once again a breathtaking view well worth the effort. Of course, it would have been remiss of us to come to the region without sampling the exceptional prosecco too, after a day spent surrounded by the stuff!
Now, Day Five was where it gets interesting… You see, the aforementioned “bike drama” was down to an unfortunate issue with my bearings, and unable to source new ones quickly enough to make my bike “mountain safe”, we actually wound up hiring a bike for me to ride, whilst stashing my original for the majority of the tour. This meant that the final day required a detour via Bassano del Grappa to swap back to my original steed, before pressing on to Veneto and our airport hotel. The original routes don’t account for this – and instead had a lovely trip to the seaside town of Jesolo built in instead. This unfortunately isn’t something we got to witness ourselves, as the additional mileage was already more than enough for us to handle! Nonetheless we were super grateful to be able to ride at all, as the stars definitely needed to align for me to get the bike I did, in the right size, for the right terrain – all at a moment’s notice.
It’s a trip I would highly recommend, Giro stage present or not, and a part of the world I’d return to in the future without hesitation. It’s quiet, but not painfully so, it’s beautiful and mountainous, without being to arduous, and the routes almost entirely avoid busy roads. Probably a route best done before the summer heat becomes unbearable, our timing at the end of May felt spot on – but I imagine September/October would also be a dream. Now it’s just on us to figure out what our next trip will look like…It’s definitely given us the bug for bikepacking.