Poggiridenti to Bormio

June 4, 2022

I started the day thinking this would be one of, if not the, easiest day of the tour. About 65 km on a radweg (bike path doesn’t have quite the same connotation) with 1100 or so metres of elevation gain with no real descents for an average of less than 2%. I didn’t factor in the 30+ degree temperatures.

Breakfast is served at Agroturismo Arbule from 8 to 10, unless you’ve requested it to be earlier. We thought 8 would be fine; after all, we had an easy day ahead of us. We didn’t want to arrive before our apartment would be ready.

After breakfast, we packed up and Al used a hose to clean our bikes and then lubed the chains. As he was doing this and I was ferrying our gear out, I noticed it was getting warm in the sun, such that I’d rather wait in the shade.

A different angle, zooming in on the terraced vineyards above. The church up there might have been the source of the bells we heard on our walk back from dinner last night.

A great place to stay. (There are more dinner options if you’re not trying to stay close in case the rain starts again.)

The Sentiero Valtellina continued to be very pleasant but threw in some short, steep sections. By noon, I was fading. Some of you may know that I don’t handle heat well…

There’s a dam and a reservoir behind it. For irrigation, I think.

We stopped for lunch and a rest break in Grosotto. This village was not far off the radweg and at the same elevation (not up a hill). The first place we saw had a “Welcome Bikers” banner (in English!) and tables in the shade, so decision made. Sandwiches and chinotto fit the bill.

I found the second half of today’s ride tougher than the first and I’ll blame the heat. But I made it to Bormio and tomorrow is a rest day.

In 2018, Al and his club (Veni Velo Vici or VVV) stayed in Bormio and rode down the valley then up and over the Mortirolo. It was a hard climb with no views and we aren’t doing it on this trip.

Door to our apartment. We are off to get groceries as we will eat in in Bormio.

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Today's ride: 66 km (41 miles)
Total: 1,618 km (1,005 miles)

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Bob KoreisI feel your pain with the heat. We’ve been riding darling than I’d like just to avoid the worst of the heat. Staying hydrated has been a constant concern.
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2 years ago

Jacquie GaudetTo Bob KoreisI use electrolytes too when it’s hot. I think I enjoyed the rain more except for the lack of views.
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2 years ago

Jacquie GaudetTo Bob KoreisI see you’re in Puglia. Not an area I’d attempt at this time of year! I want to go there, but maybe April?
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2 years ago

Bob KoreisTo Jacquie GaudetWell, vaccinations and entry requirements and other factors caused us to leave a few weeks later than planned. But it is unseasonably hot.
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2 years ago

Jacquie GaudetTo Bob KoreisAh well. I remember being shocked by the temperatures in southern Germany when we went in 2015 but when I got back to work, a colleague who grew up in Europe said temps in the 30s were normal.
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2 years ago