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#1
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rollerski up Stelvio
I was driving up from Bormio to Passo dello Stelvio, and I saw this guy with
rollerskis and poles. He had reached the (only) moderate section of the climb, so he had gotten into a little kick-double-pole. I took some photos and talked with him a little -- asked if he was the first one to climb up it on rollerskis -- but he didn't speak any more English than I speak Italian, so this didn't go very far. Stelvio (also called "Stilfserjoch") is a big climb (1500m / 5000 ft vertical) up to a high pass in northeastern Italy. Nobody I know paid much attention to it until this guy from Colorado rode his bicycle up and over the pass one summer while it was snowing. Maybe this Italian guy was trying the reverse concept -- climb it on skis but without the snow. He was on classic rollerskis with rather wide wheels (? around 50 mm ?), and they were red and had the word "BULL" printed on them in large wide black letters. His poles had normal baskets and he wasn't wearing any gloves. (? maybe somebody should try to sell him some proper full rollerskiing equipment ?) I liked seeing him do it because here was a guy (no longer in his twenties) going for a big achievement on a beautiful day. Not because it fit some race-training program -- just to do it. I haven't done any rollerskiing myself in so long I can't remember. Actually I had thought about trying to climb Stelvio on inline-skates. But then I remembered that it would be hard and painful to skate up something that big and steep -- and I might not succeed. Very happy this summer just doing some semi-serious bicycle-training and fun inline-skating. He was already through the hardest parts, so I assume he made it to the top. Ken P.S. A few days later out on my bike in early evening, I saw two other guys in their 20s on rollerskis, double-poling up to Passo Falzorego from the Cortina side -- not as long or steep or famous a climb as Stelvio. Looked like doing one of their regular after-work training workouts. I felt no envy of their rollerskiing power, since I was going down the hill as the finish of a great day of riding. |
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#2
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On Wed, 21 Sep 2005 01:13:21 GMT, "Ken Roberts"
wrote: Nobody I know paid much attention to it until this guy from Colorado rode his bicycle up and over the pass one summer while it was snowing. I hope you're not talking about Andy Hampsten, who rode over the Gavia in the snow on the way to winning the Tour of Italy. And in that year I think the stage over the Stelvio was cancelled or rerouted to avoid that climb. JFT **************************** Remove "remove" to reply Visit http://www.jt10000.com **************************** |
#3
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I hate to dash your hopes for me, but I was indeed thinking of Andy
Hampsten. And now I believe you're right, it was the (nearby) Passo Gavia he rode over in the snow. Thanks for the correction. John Forrest Tomlinson wrote I hope you're not talking about Andy Hampsten, who rode over the Gavia in the snow on the way to winning the Tour of Italy. I rode my bike from Bormio over Gavia the day before in the morning (likely at less than half the speed of Andy Hampsten), then west over Passo Aprica. When I got back to my hotel at 4:00pm, I thought, "Looks like enough daylight left for another climb". So I rode my bike up Stelvio and enjoyed a very fun descent back to Bormio. (one of the delightful paybacks from having a bicycle with a third small chainring and having the discipline from ski-training to go long and slow with it.) I don't think that guy climbing on rollerskis would have enjoyed that descent of the west side of Stelvio in the same way. Actually I don't he did the descent at all on rollerskis -- since I saw there was a car and driver who pulled over and conferred with him just after I left him. Ken |
#4
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Ken Roberts wrote:
I don't think that guy climbing on rollerskis would have enjoyed that descent of the west side of Stelvio in the same way. Actually I don't he did the descent at all on rollerskis -- since I saw there was a car and driver who pulled over and conferred with him just after I left him. I was in fact wondering how could somebody descent on a road like that on rollerskis! It's a lot of bends and tight hairpins (48) with asphalt in bad conditions (many holes esp near the summit). And if you descent towards Switzerland, there also is a gravel section where you must pay attention even by bike... -- beorn "You've got to learn to crawl before you learn to walk" Aerosmith (Amazing) |
#5
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beorn wrote
I was in fact wondering how could somebody descent on a road like that on rollerskis! I've heard some scary stories of people who did one of those big climbs in the U.S. and did try to descend on their rollerskis, mentions of surprises and scar tissue. I've tried walking + running down, which for a big steep climb sometimes leaves my legs sore for a couple of days from the repetitive impact. Or I first use my car to leave my bicycle somewhere near the top, then drive back down to the bottom to start my rollerski or inline-skate climbing. That's how I skated up the upper half of Col de la Croix de Fer in France. But that takes a lot of time, so it's better to find somebody else to drive the car. Stelvio has a lot of bends and tight hairpins (48) That's the east side of the pass (toward Prad Stilfserjoch in Sudtirol / Alto Adige region). The rollerskier was climbing the west side (toward Bormio in Lombardia region). The east side is more famous because of that count of switchbacks, and that when you're about halfway up you can see all the remaining switchbacks above you all at once. I think actually the west side has similar steepness in its steep sections, but not as sustained -- and for it has more variety and interest as a climb, and much more fun as a descent. I did not enjoy descending those 48 switchbacks on the east side -- next time if I climb up the east side again I would descend Umbrail (including its 3km of gravel as noted by beorn) and make a loop back to Prad through the Mustair valley in Switzerland. Switchbacks -- When I have bicycled or skated up these big alpine climbs, my experience has been that "switchbacks are my friend" -- the steepest sections of these climbs are usually in between the switchback sections. I suspect that once the engineers decide to put in switchbacks for some section, they show off their design skill by limiting the steepness. So when I made it up out of the trees on the east side climb and saw all those remaining 22 switchbacks above me, instead of being intimidated, my reaction was, "This one's in the bag". Ken |
#6
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Ken Roberts wrote:
I've heard some scary stories of people who did one of those big climbs in the U.S. and did try to descend on their rollerskis, mentions of surprises and scar tissue. I guess so! :-) I think actually the west side has similar steepness in its steep sections, but not as sustained -- and for it has more variety and interest as a climb, and much more fun as a descent. you can check the two profiles he from Bormio: http://www.salite.ch/stelvio.htm from Prato allo Stelvio: http://www.salite.ch/stelvio1.htm as you can see, the latter is a bit tougher, but nothing impossible (at least by bike, that's the only way I did them...I never tought about rollerskiing up there 'cause I would not know how to come down!). Since this is a nordic skiing NG, there is a funny, recent piece of news about Stelvio: one of the italian national team x-country skiers (Tomas Moriggl) was lost up there last weekend: he went for a running training in the late afternoon, then he got lost somewhere and he spent the whole night up at 2500 meters in shorts and tshirt...he said he kept on running the whole night to avoid getting too cold...then they found him the following morning :-) I did not enjoy descending those 48 switchbacks on the east side -- next time if I climb up the east side again I would descend Umbrail (including its 3km of gravel as noted by beorn) and make a loop back to Prad through the Mustair valley in Switzerland. yeah, that's very nice, but also descenting the 48 swithcbacks is nice :-) last time I did it it was raining and hailing, but it was cool :-.) Switchbacks -- When I have bicycled or skated up these big alpine climbs, my experience has been that "switchbacks are my friend" -- the steepest sections of these climbs are usually in between the switchback sections. I suspect that once the engineers decide to put in switchbacks for some section, they show off their design skill by limiting the steepness. So when I made it up out of the trees on the east side climb and saw all those remaining 22 switchbacks above me, instead of being intimidated, my reaction was, "This one's in the bag". I understand what you mean :-) -- beorn "You've got to learn to crawl before you learn to walk" Aerosmith (Amazing) |
#7
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Ken Roberts wrote: Stelvio (also called "Stilfserjoch") is a big climb (1500m / 5000 ft vertical) up to a high pass in northeastern Italy. Nobody I know paid much attention to it until this guy from Colorado rode his bicycle up and over the pass one summer while it was snowing. Maybe this Italian guy was tryi= ng the reverse concept -- climb it on skis but without the snow. FWIW Passo dello Stelvio is where the Swedish national team (sans Elofsson and Fredriksson) just stayed for three days (living at 2.750m and training at 3.200m) before continuing in Livigno (1.800m). One Johann M=FChlegg also used to spend periods in Stelvio. He was on classic rollerskis with rather wide wheels (? around 50 mm ?), = and they were red and had the word "BULL" printed on them in large wide black letters. His poles had normal baskets and he wasn't wearing any gloves. (? maybe somebody should try to sell him some proper full rollerskiing equipment ?) Ahh, the natives have their own odd preferences everywhe-) BTW the rollerskis were the Italian Ski Sketts, model Bull. The wheels are indeed wide, 60mm, and of rubber, which would make for a soft and stable ride. http://www.skiskett.com BTW the most popular Swedish and Norwegian rollerskis have 50mm wheels (with a roughly 70mm diameter), but in Finland the favourite models have 40mm wheels (with a 80mm diameter). I suppose you mad daredevils in N.A. go for the narrowest wheels you can find?:-) Anders |
#8
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Which brands? It sounds like Pro-Skis (50x~70mm) in Norway and Sweden
and Marwe in Finland (40x80mm). Gene Anders wrote: BTW the most popular Swedish and Norwegian rollerskis have 50mm wheels (with a roughly 70mm diameter), but in Finland the favourite models have 40mm wheels (with a 80mm diameter). I suppose you mad daredevils in N.A. go for the narrowest wheels you can find?:-) Anders |
#9
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BULL are rollerskis by SkiSkett. They are as porper rollerskis as it
gets. A friend of mine who lives in MD has them, he ordered the skis by mailorder directly from SkiSkett. |
#10
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Gene Goldenfeld wrote: Which brands? It sounds like Pro-Skis (50x~70mm) in Norway and Sweden and Marwe in Finland (40x80mm). Yes, also Swenor and Elpex in the former and Start in the latter. Anders |
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