The European Chronicles 2025.16 - This Is Why You Ride

 The Best Riding On The Planet

Why do you ride?  It is uncomfortable, inconvenient, cold, wet, hot.  It requires expensive gear and equipment, specialized training, relentless focus and discipline.  It is also unforgiving of mistakes.  Why do you ride?

THIS is why you ride...the roads to that scenery look like this:

Sella and Pordoi are the "drama queens," dramatic scenery all the way up and down.  Hairpin after hairpin.  They are famous for a reason.  Some traffic, but nothing compared to what we experienced on the Eastern Dolomites.  Yippie!

Heading out, solo...Krisanne is hiking.  😎

The Route:  Bemelmans Loop 2

The little roads leading in and out of Bemelmans to the North are themselves fantastic.

Sella

Motos have their own parking areas

Like most everywhere, there is also bus service.

Relive 'Quattro Passi'

You head down Sella and fork left for Pordoi.

Heading into Arabba

Starting back to Collalbo

Dinner reward...Bemelmans has upped their game this year, and it was already very, very good!

Less Famous But Even More Fun:  Bemelmans Loop 3

This is simply the best...little traffic, fantastic roads and scenery.  Do not tell anyone!

There are 9 passes:

Passo di Lavaze; Passo di Pramadiccio; Passo di San Pellegrino; Passo di Valles; Passo Rolle; Passo di Cereda; Passo di Fedaia; Passo di Costalunga; and the steepest pass in Italy for last, Passo Nigra.  

283 km, 176 miles...SIX hours without stops.  Up and down all day long.

It is a fantastic ride.

Relive 'Best Ride EVER!'

First to Lavaze...

Last year's and this year's sticker.  😂

Christian and the Edelweiss Riding Academy group heading for coffee just as I was leaving.

San Pellegrino

Passo Valles

Passo Rolle

Cereda

And a pass I had never done before:  Passo Nigra.

With a very nice cafe.

Affogato 😎

Sticker-ized

Some Lagrein booty as the reward.

Passo Nigra was so good, I HAD to bring Krisanne...we went for a loop ride the next morning.

But not before getting a little doggy love - Bemelmans has two giant German Shepards that roam about, both incredibly sweet.

Our Photo Documentarian is ready!

Go left...the tunnel actually forks...

Stay off the Autostrada

A sharp, uphill right to start the pass.

Tiers...we picked the right day to head up the pass...they were setting up for a marathon that was to be held the next day.

Could you imagine living here, with this view every day?

Our photo documentarian takes a well deserved break.

On the way down...

Relive 'Passo Nigra loop'

I could ride these rides every day for the rest of my life, thank you very much!

Ciao!

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