Post lockdown. June 3rd the Italian border opens. The ski season is over, time to escape to Finale and the warm welcome of our Italian friends 
Chamonix doesn’t have much background in pedalling a bike. Sure there are some talented DH and enduro riders but not many are keen to ride through the mountains. There are a few exceptions, Oli Herren for one. In Aosta Davide Capozzi is always motivated for big missions. He’s lighter and faster than me uphill so I need to ride smart on days with him. Here we rode Col di Bard, Col Citirin, Chaligne, Becca Franca totally 3300 m of vertical, oh and it was still 40C at 1830 at 1000 m! 
At Denis Tondo’s alpage in the Brento Dolomites 
Dropping into Becca Franca after a long 10 hours riding in 40+ celcius. No gloves or kneepads to maximise heat shedding! 
La Thuile lift access enduro day with Morgan Sahlen 
La Thuile, EWS K run, Mont Blanc Range in the back ground. Photo Morgan Sahlen 
The view to Lake Garda, off the back of Paganella 
Bobby visits Chamonix 
La Thuile, photo by Morgan Sahlen 
Brenta Dolomites, I forgot all my protection except for my helmet and kneepads. Perfect for a place built with razor sharp rock. Photo Tim Longstaff 
One of my favourite places in the world, Lake Garda. On the way to show Tim Longstaff my favourite pub in the world. 
La Thuile magic. Photo Tim Longstaff 
Canazei, Dolomites. We’ve just been soaked to the pants in a thunderstorm, I’m semi hypothermic so Tim and myself take shelter in the pub. In beer we trust! This was shit beer, check out Tim’s great beer at Sapaudia Brewing Company 
Col Citrin with Davide Capozzi, this one gets harder the further you descend 
La Thuile, photo Tim Longstaff 
Posettes, photo Ben Tibbetts 
La Thuile 
Col Lussons lunar landscape, photo Dave Searle 
Col Lusson, photo Dave Searle 
Colle della Rosso, my favourite ride in Aosta 
Colle della Rosso, photo Dave Searle 
Brevent, yep its made of rock. Photo by Luke Jarmey 
Back Country Finale in the Land Rover Defender 
Piero and Filippo – Back Country Finale in Malare. A pleasure seeing our Italian friends post lockdown. 
Bobby and Searle fiddling with the Donkey 
Bellachat. Photo by Filippo Gualtieri 
Early summer and heading to the Aiguillette des Houches 
Alessandro Merlini on Bellachat 
Nice view 
Heading to Bellachat from Brevent. Rocky as fuck, stunning scenary when you can take your eyes off the trail which will likely be just when you stop 
Nice view behind me! I love it up here. 
Minna and friends on the skyline 
All time crew L-R me, Filippo, Gian Luca, Oli, Alessandro, thingymabob et al, Howard 
Me and my very good buddy Filippo on Chaligne above Aosta 
Visiting Italian Jaco meets Bellachat, Brevent 
Morning shred on Brevent before work, good for the soul 
Evening shreds from Plan de l’Aiguille are sick. 1300 m of brown pow. 
Check this guy out – that tent hitting the back of the knees would do it for me 
Morgan cruising some rock slabs at la Thuile 
Davide Capozzi at Col Chavanne. There was a lot of snow towards Col de la Seigne so we skipped that and headed to Col Arp Vielle 
Davide Capozzi on the exposed start to Col Chavanne going into Val Veni 
Val Veni views with Petit Mont Blanc and Aiguille des Glaciers 
Davide Capozzi on the Tour du Mont Blanc trail from Col Arp Vielle. Tour Ronde, Skyway, Dent de Geant in the background. 
Emosson to Martigny ride. Not my favourite 
Not sure what this is – a wonkey donkey? 
La Thuile with Tim and Howard 
Evening ride at Le Tour 
The remnants of the Le Tour Glacier 
Letting the arms rest half way down 
Davide Capozzi on the techy root section of Col Citrin 
Last descent to St Nicholas after 10 hours and 3300 m. Its still 40C at 1800 hrs. 
Poor pack horse looks a bit overladen 
Taking in the view at the start of a Chatelyard run 
Col Entrelor 
Entrelor flowy section 
A quick coffee stop in La Thuile on the Col Chavanne – Col Arp Veille loop 
The Peuterey Ridge of Mont Blanc from upper Val Veni 
The West Face of Mont Blanc, a 2000 m ski odyssey 
Mont Blanc’s impressive Freney/Broullard faces above Val Veni 
The Aosta autoroute – impressive engineering 
Searle and Tibbetts on route to Lusson (3300 m) 
Searle and Tibbetts on route to Lusson (3300 m) 
Lusson, Loson, every map has a a different spelling in this region of Italian – Franco patois 
Searle coming down Lusson 
Colle della Rosso 
The Italian Dolomites – Sella Ronda Tour with Filippo Gaultieri, Denis Tondo, Patrick DH, Tim Longstaff 
Rodella 
Marmolada views 
Denis 
Patrick 
Tim getting patched up after slicing his leg open on a drainage channel 
Denis showboating for the camera 
When you grow up racing mx, you need a proper workshop 
Denis showing his mastery of whips and berms 
The Willy Wonka rail – a stunning blue flow/jump run 
Lake Garda 
Patrick and the Brenta Dolomites 
Denis spent months shepherding at this hut growing up, now he wants to use it as a overnight stop over on Dolomiti mtb tours 
Wait, why’s my bike on the chair? 
Lake Garda 
Riva del Garda, my favourite pub in the world. Scene of so much fun 
Tim enjoying morning swims in the lake 
That day I forgot my armour in the Dolomites. Highsided on a landing straight onto my spine. Luckily ribs just bruised for a month. 
Chamonix, Aiguillette des Houches. Getting in the runs before the lifts close. Broke my clipless pedals in that crash in the Dolomites and De Masi had my flats so riding the worst pedals ever made. 
The start of a beautiful day, riding solo in Aosta. 3800 m vertical, 5 cols, 1 summit. Col di Bard, Col Citrin, Col Malatra (2900 m), Col Entre Deux Sauts, Col Sapin, Testa Bernarda. 
Col di Bard 
Col Citrin with Mont Velan behind 
‘If it didn’t exist 5000 years ago then don’t eat it’ – Laird Hamilton. Forget gels, shakes and other crap. Nuts, berries and some fruit will see you double your efforts 
Col Citrin 
On the 1400 m climb to Malatra. 
Refugio Frassati, modelled on the rock architecture of Petit Golliat 
Only 400 m to Malatra 
Col Malatra 
Sunny everywhere except where I am its hailing! 
Flow trails below Col Malatra 
Grand Jorasses in the background above Val Veni 
Its a big day for a Nomad, 12 hours and 3800 m. I’m looking forward to riding a High Tower next season 
Last climb done to Test Bernarda. Final descent of the day arriving in Courmayeur for pizza just as the light started to fail. 
Should I stay or should I go? A murky day in Aosta had me soaked to the pants within the first half hour. Then it started to dry up so I set little goals (I’ll turn back there…) but in the end made the summit knowing the descent is a path suited to a gravel bike with no greasy rock to negotiate. In the end a super atmospheric day, the inclement weather providing dramatic scenes up Val Veni.
Biking Season
Written by rosshewittguiding
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