Mangart and I (Slovenia Chapter Two)

''Man delights not me, no, nor women neither, nor women neither''

 What do you need to keep afloat? Where's your church? What's your drug? Some opt for religion (well certainly not me as the lady who accosted me at the airport unwittingly discovered when asking me if I have accepted god into my life. ''Go sell crazy someplace else'' is my standard response). Others opt for external substances to get them through. I've managed to get this far without succumbing to any unhealthy vices.There may have been a time when I was lonely and was close to looking in the wrong places for help, but I consider myself my lucky to be happy even when I find myself alone. I've always tried to make happiness my drug and of course a spot of adventure, like a few months back on my second visit to Slovenia.....


Mangart intro
A punctured lung, a herniated disc and chicken pox were not going to stop me completing what I started a few months ago. Ok so none of these ailments were my own, but the group intending to join me on this trip dropped out one by one pre-departure. I flew out of London on my own, not knowing if even my girls would be able to join me, (ref the aforementioned chicken pox). So as you recall from Chapter One (you did read Chapter One didn’t you? Link here if you need to recap), I failed to get to the top of the last climb on my trip to Sovenia last May. The climb in question is the Mangart. Not one of the more well know climbs but one I've had my eye on for quite a while. I look for lesser known ones nowadays, roads that are quieter but still epic. This time I will be approaching it from the Italian side rather than the Austrian side. The route planned is so simple, 80miles in total, 40 miles up and 40 miles return down. I arrive at my hotel at 5pm and I am due to do the route the following morning, so I put my bike together and pedal off on a pre-dinner acclimatisation ride. It's just a 20mile ride but it's up an absolute monster....

Monte San Simone
The road up Monte San Simone is the oddist, craziest and remotest climb I have ever ridden. The four mile long, narrow (less than 2metres wide) 'road' climbs 1000m but it barely ever resembles a road. If you ever try it beware, although not as demonic as the Scanuppia, it still emits a curse like atmosphere. You are probably more likely to come across a gowned spiritual figure rather than any other cyclists, it has an odd air of pagan worship about it. Although it certainly fits my route criteria as I see no one during my 80 minutes on the mountain. The route is very steep and interestingly the surface changes constantly; you get sketchy gravel, blistered concrete, potted composite, slippery asphalt, perfect spotless tarmac, a stretch where the metal reinforcements in the road has been exposed, and finally near the top a bizarre pure white surface. The route up twists through dense woodland seldom exposing you to a view of the outside world and with no signs or kilometre markings, you have no idea how far you have to go. However unlike the Scanuppia which just peters out to nothing, the reward for my 'pilgrimage' to the top of the San Simone was, not an opportunity to speak to god as the mountain top chapel would prefer but to see a beautiful vista as the road finally opens up and the glorious mountain range is revealed below and around you. Apart from the stunning view there is very little else up there, bar that small chapel, which of course is wasted on this atheist (or should I say anti-theist, atheists are far too lenient on the god squadron for my liking). So ride one was a cracking, albeit lung busting start to the trip.

Back to the Mangart
So onto to the Mangart......the following day it's super hot and the route starts straight outside the hotel onto the Adria cycle path. Now you can't get a decent cup of tea here and the drains don't work but the Italians certainly know how to do bike paths. This one is 410kms long! Starting in Salzburg and down to the Adriatic coast. I'm just jumping on part of it, mainly along rejuvenated railway tracks and it is fantastic. Plenty of cool tunnels, spectacular bridges, fast riding and traffic free. As mentioned the first half of this ride is mostly uphill, but the miles tick by quickly in such lovely surroundings.

 Soon I'm into Slovenia and I approach the Mangart from the opposite side from before.The lower slopes are the toughest but this time I actually feel I am cheating, gear wise. I've swapped a 28 lowest cog to a dinner plate 32, which allows me to spin up in fine form, a far cry from my previous attempt when I was already done in at the start of the climb. On my first visit here I had the mountain to myself but of course I couldn't get to the top, this time making it to the top meant a full road of motorbikes and cars. I failed to summit last May due to snow blocking one of the upper tunnels. As I approach that tunnel this time I am surprised by the size of it. It looked relatively small before, blocked with snow. It's huge now. I ride through and the exit marks the start of the final section of the mountain. It's more impressive than I'd imagined. The winding hairpined road opens up to a vast cauldron like theatre exposing mountain tops, rock faces and valleys below in multiple directions. The only issue was that it was unfortunatley fairly busy with other roads users flocking to see these sights. I make it to the top and suck in the views.
I exchange photo duties with a couple of lovely German girls at the top and compare gear ratios with a fast looking Italian chap who was heading for the Zoncolan tomorrow, But as nice as the German girls were, it was too crowded on the mountain today. It was filled (relatively speaking) with bikers, cars, hikers, cyclists and wingsuiters (wingsuitists?). So although I'd got to the top this time, I was somehow not satisfied. Whilst descending I quickly devised another plan, a question entered my mind......how early in the morning would I need to ride up to be the first up?

Up the Mangart again and third time even luckier
Flash forward to 11pm that evening and I tentatively set the alarm for 4am. No late night trip to the hotel bar for me tonight. I turn in and drift off, thinking about the adventure to come the following morning. Seemingly moments later the alarm rings. I look outside the window; it's wet, very wet. For a few moments I contemplate laying back down and binning the idea. The idea is daft. Mmmmmm daft but fun. The kettle is turned on, coffee gets me going and I'm up for this. The drive in the dark and rain is rubbish but I am fairly confident now this might be a good idea. I start the ride at 5am, still wet, still dark. My rental car is not insured for Slovenia, so I park a few hundred yards before the border. I'm wet through straight away and climbing without lights but the discomfort only lasts ten minutes or so as the sun works it's way out and the rain stops. I am now free and alone again on the Mangart, just what I'd hoped for; to combine the best experience of both previous visits. My pace is the best yet up here, helped by the lack of bikes and cars. It's glorious as the sun rises but in the back of my mind I wonder if anyone else will be at the top? My legs are strong, it's been awhile since I had a non-struggling sensation when riding. I breeze through the tunnels and start winding up my efforts for the last few kilometres. The road ahead opening up after the last of the tunnels and I have a view of the upper slopes. To my delight I cannot see another soul or vehicle. A world away from the previous days bustle. I reach the top and the feeling is a very much heightened version of yesterday. So alone yet so fulfilled. I spend 10 minutes at the top absorbing it all. The crazy early start, the dark, the rain were all part of the journey to this moment at the summit and it is a delight to the senses. This is my church. Job done, I descend back down the 11kms. Still no one coming up. As I turn the last hairpin a truck comes past going up. It's the park ranger. He looks surprised to see someone coming down at this time: Yep another mini adventure complete and so worthwhile.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2583240035

So why the soliloquy at the top of this blog? I mean anyone who knows me will know I am not clever enough to have read any Shakespeare. I get my influences from music and films, hence the word play on this stories title. So as long as you have a half decent knowledge of 80s cult films, it will make sense. So Chapter One was a solo ride and Chapter Two turned out to be a solo trip but unlike Withnail's utter despair, in the previously hinted at film, I am more than ok without a destructive pastime or a celestial deity to prop me up. I've found want I need to keep afloat and to paraphrase the Beatles; all you need is health, happiness and love.