Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.

Pope Paul VI – Italian Pope. 1897-1978

Having organized a well-deserved holiday we were set to hit the road and venture to Italy.

We arrived at the Dublin Airport and scrambled aboard the Ryan Air flight. It really was a free for all, they weren’t kidding.

A short 2 hour flight and we arrived at a very warm and sunny Verona Airport. Man it’s good to feel the heat and warm breeze. A taxi picked us up and we headed for the mountains, and these are real mountains, reaching all the way to the clouds and beyond. After an hour’s drive we arrived at Riva Del Garda. Hazy mountains surrounded a crystal blue lake. Quickly checking into our apartment we went for a stroll to the shops and to grab a coffee. With phrase book in hand we were ready to tackle the Italians like the Irish rugby team in the six nations.

Bikes unpacked and assembled, day one of our cycling adventures began with a bit of confusion. The twisty roads of the town were going to prove to be more of a challenge than the peaks themselves. Plus they drive on the wrong side of the road, what the!

Sunday:  ‘Rifugio Pernici’. It started with a long climb on dirt roads that ascended from the shore of Lake Garda and hugged the steep cliff face on one side, and a sheer drop to the lake on the other, not for the faint hearted. Winding along we passed through tunnels dug into the mountain as we climbed higher and higher. But this was only a small taste of what was to come, and the real climbing hadn’t even started. Passing numerous vine yards, olive plantations and Swiss style chalets we headed towards Lago di Ledro. Around the lake the road took us into the hills, and a long 12k climb. It was a misty humid day that soon turned cooler the higher we climbed. Along tight twisty roads that seem to never end, we finally reached the top and found ‘Rifugio Pernici’. It was awesome and we were totally burnt out.. A good fed and great coffee was the order of the day. 1600 metres didn’t seem so hard back at the apartment. But the rocky decent was going to prove more time consuming.. What was basically a dry river bed was a challenge. Loose rocks and gravel, very steep and windy took much longer than we expected as darkness fell. With no lights and crazy Italian drivers on the road section near the end, we slowly made the last few K’s back to base. It was only later apparent we took a wrong on the way down and missed out on some more off road sections. Not to worry though, it was dark anyway.

Monday: We opted for a shorter and more casual ride that took us along the river to Arco and beyond to Dro for an easy 40k’s. The small historic towns are connected with vine yards, kiwi fruit orchards and of course olive plantations. The river was crystal clear and running with both brown and rainbow Trout. It’s easy to see why the people look so healthy and even into old age still ride around on their bikes. Most of the shops we closed for their siesta, but the cafes we open. Finding a nice café in Arco, Café Centrale, we sat under the canopy protected from the huge chestnuts that kept falling and smashing to the ground from just above our heads. There should be a warning sign! As with the villages we seen so far, Arco has the small winding streets, no wider than a car, but at least 3 floors high, with wooden window shuttered to keep out the heat. All around this sub-tropical setting, the mountains shoot straight up to the sky and perched on top are either castles or houses. Grand old Churches sit silent except for the tolling of bells on the quarter hour. But there is no shortage of tourists here, and most are on mountain bikes. Lycra clad and very professional looking, they seem very tuned to the fact that nearly ever trail they tackle, will be starting with long steep road climbs. No real need for a full suspension here, a good hard tail with 100mm of travel will suffice.

Tuesday: We went back along the river from Riva to Arco to complete a loop that took us to Passo Due Sassi and on to Monte Velo. It was another hard slog along sealed roads that turned to gravel then some forest tracks and a height of 1200m’s. With aching legs and an even sorer rear end all you can do is the keep the pedal ticking over. Sometime I was silently crying out for another gear. We passed some serious rock climber on the way, dangling without a care, and only a grin on their face. The odd cyclist passed us as they sped downwards, prompting us to wonder yet again, ‘Are we going the wrong way?’ But it was good to see them none-the-less as it is somewhat reassuring, we are not the only two crazy people on this mountain. . It’s always a good idea, or a good excuse to stop along the way and when you can take out the camera to snap the villages and towns you have left far below. The long climb was rewarded with spectacular views back to the lake and surrounding areas, good coffee and a bean soup at Malga Zanga. It’s one thing I do love so far, that no matter where you seem to end up, there is always real coffee. But it soon got cooler and the rain was stating to fall. I can imagine in winter these homes high in the mountains could be lonely and desolate places to be. But then, they must be quite happy with the solitude. It was mentioned though that there are Bears and wild cats that live up here, not to mention the Deer. Not that we had seen any for my legs would never have got me away fast enough to escape any pending danger. The decent this time was much better on light gravel, and meant you could get up some decent speed before slowing into hair-pin turns. The smell of grinding brake pads on discs filled the nostrils when you stop, luckily I took some spares, brake pads that is. It also got warmer, no surprise, so time to ditch the wet rain jacket and sleeves. The decent came to an end in Arco, so time for another coffee. Damn this good Italian coffee! Back to base camp this time with the daylight on our side. At times it hard to know which is better, chilling out and people watching while sipping a good coffee, or biking the hills with only the sounds of nature accompanying you. Probably the both combined truth be told.

Wednesday: Storms set in and from the night before we were still being hit with heavy rain, thunder and lightning. But it soon settled and we took to explore the town by foot, just for a change. Of course siesta time meant there were lots of closed shops, so we explored the small winding streets with the other tourists. Each building was as unique as the next, some more ornate than others but all eye catching and very photogenic, proud of their heritage. The water front was awash with cafes, plenty of places to relax and admire the awesome views of the mountains, majestic from lake shore to the sky. Small boats came and went, ferrying people across the lake and in the distance rain clouds emptied their load on the distant shores. It’s way too easy to forget about the toils of working life, the worries that may burden a weary soul. This is truly a place you can be at peace with yourself.

Thursday: What better after a day off than to hit the hills with another 1600+ metres of climbing. This time we explored the East side of the lake and headed for Dos Cassina and the high point, Rifugio Campei. Along the water front and onto Torbole it was a steep climb straight out of the village. Feeling a bit easier this time we stayed on the road, climbing for around 20k’s. It seemed that the rain cleared the sky of any mist and we were given views as far as the eye could see, up and over the top of the mountain peaks. This was a more popular route on the day as there were lots of other bikers heading our way. On reaching the top, the trees cleared and an alpine meadow opened out across the peak. It was amazing. Resting and catching some rays, the silence was deafening. The wind breezed by as the world quietly went about its business far below. Following some single track we were really looking forward to a coffee and some food, but were very disappointed to find Rifugio Campei closed. What, no coffee! The only thing for it was to head down hill, and chew up some more brake pads. Stopping at a junction that wasn’t on the map we were confused. So we headed in what was to be the wrong direction. The trails turned into narrow single track through the trees, then rocky steep chutes. A German biker pointed us in the direction he believed to be right, but this took us out on the road we climbed earlier. But not before we did at least half the downhill run, oops. Wasn’t that bad really, just a few bits we had to walk the bikes. Still it was all about the adventure. Stopping in Torbole, and one of the many piazza’s, we stuffed our faces with calzone to die for and a caffeine hit. Man, I’m gonna miss this place.  

Friday: All in all the riding here is good, and it takes time to explore all the good stuff and sometimes to find a real gem when you don’t expect it. So it was a pleasant and excellent surprise to find the last ride of the week was one of the best. A 60k loop on mostly single track and forest road, relatively flat, but still totalling 1700 metres, according to the guide book. Leaving Riva Del Garda it took the left side of the river via Deva, Tenno, Arco, Dro, Pietramurata and back along the other side to Nago and Torbole. It was awesome for many different and similar reasons. More relaxing we could and did take in the beauty of the lowland regions. Alongside sheers cliff faces we rode forest and fire trails that reminded us of the Alpine regions of Western Canada. Meandering through vine yard after vine yard, passing trout farms and tackling rocky trails it was more than we ever expected. Some short but very steep sections brought smile to our face, and nods of approval, like they needed it. This was a true XC cross country trail. Our legs already tired from previous days we were pushed on by the awe factor alone. It’s true that a picture speaks a thousand words, for I can’t find enough with my limited vocabulary to relay just how magical this place really is.

Arriving back to the apartment it was with two heavy hands that I dismantled and boxed the bikes. My heavy heart was already drowning its own sorrow at the thought of leaving in the morning. Riva Del Garda is a place where the Fjords combine with Alpine forest and meadows. Coffee is drunk like fine wine, and fine wine is drunk from the fruits of your own labour, if you are lucky to own a vine yard. Food is cheap and good. People are friendly but drive like crazy. The mountains make you feel welcome and warm, while the lake washes away all your worries. The air is fresh beckoning you to relax and admire what no man can lay claim to, the awe inspiring wonders of nature. 
If you do venture here, you won’t be disappointed.