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2. Re: Hike to Madonna di Ghisallo – patron saint of cyclists
09 April 2008, 0:28
This hill is a must for cyclists, as it is one of the itinerary of the "Giro d'Italia".
It is very hard : only for good bykers.
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Once there you can visit the little Church dedicated to cyclists and a very interesting new Mesuem.
They have a web-site (unfortunately only in Italian) www.museodelghisallo.it
Il Ghisallo need a visit as the view that you have of the Lecco brunch of the lake and the mountains is amazing.
There is also a little kiosk that offers good meals.
Enjoy ! Brezza
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| The route |
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| Catching the first ferry to Bellagio |
The ascent is definitely demanding. The first section goes up to 14% and there's a couple of painful kilometers. The Tern is no road bike.. 16kg plus panniers. I needed my 1.5 litres of water as it was incredibly sweaty work. At one stage I was sweating profusely and had trouble with my hands slipping off the handlebars. On account of my cold, I also got a little barotrauma. My right ear still isn't functioning well as I write this blog.
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| Yep, 14% |
Here's some sights from the climb...
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| Looking down on the switchbacks |
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| The monument near the shrine |
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| Not much outside to indicate that.... |
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| Inside it's not your usual Catholic place of worship |
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| It's pretty weird entering a chapel and seeing cycling paraphernalia all around.. including a cycle near the pulpit. |
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Nik loved it on account of him being a little weird himself.
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Post ride refreshments..
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Fabulous trip in Northern Italy, cycling, ferrying, hiking.... I thought you guys were on holiday! Wonderful photos Michael, most evocative... Thanks; made a grey 8° day in Melbourne just great!
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