We pass a trio of riders at the first tabac and see a group of five at the next bar.
Any feelings of struggle or questioning the worth of the ride disappear. The descent goes on forever and is stunning. What we’re going to do right now is get over the top and descend to the next town and find something to eat. It’s a hell of a hard job to ride mountain passes, take photos, edit, stay organized, and coordinate with other shooters. Scotty, the media driver, is asking if Rue needs her camera kit, where she’ll be tonight, and what are her plans. Rue makes it to the church and I’m in the middle of the 12-minute Foundation Training, something I do for back health every day. We’re above tree line and you can see the road carving the mountainside. We have another 200 or so meters to climb. A dozen or so ladies make it to the church near the top, take breaks to catch their breath, eat snacks, drink water, talk, and get back on the bike. It’s a hell of a grind, but I make it to the top. I don’t have cell phone reception, so I can’t look it up and resign myself to climbing into my second easiest gear, a 1:1 ratio. I have SRAM AXS shifting and I don’t know the right buttons to push for a micro adjustment, but I know it should be simple. Somewhere along the way, I must’ve dinged the derailleur. I spend the first half of the Colle del Colombardo shifting into my spokes. The owners of the pizza place found them out front and offered to deliver fresh pies to their campsite at the picnic area-Italian humanity at its finest. Out of food, they weren’t sure what to do. Nic and Charlotte had planned to get a pizza before starting up the Finestre to camp but found the shop closed. Nic tells me that the Colle del Colombardo, which she summited just hours ago, was the first mountain pass she’s ever climbed-2,000 meters with a grade as steep as 16% at times-ten times harder than anything she’s ever ridden up. Nic has 35mm and the focus of a razor blade. Charlotte is on 3” tires and about as laid back as it gets. Nic and Charlotte are great riding partners.
She’s frank and fun and has never done anything like this, but is totally ready for it. She’s on new tires but didn’t have time to set them up tubeless. On her first trip, a couple of months ago, she got six flats. Mid-morning, I caught her fixing a flat at the base of the Colombardo. Nic jokes that every time I see her, she’s having some kind of problem, but she’s totally capable. We spot a couple of other riders, pulled over, getting their lights out. We’re aiming to meet most of the others at a picnic area with a water fountain. I’m waiting for Rue at another turns in the road. 0.7 miles to camp, 0.5 miles to camp, 0.4 miles to camp. Photos by Rugile Kaladyte ( getting dark.
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