Trail running in Cheshire, Yorkshire and in Bellagio Skyrace too!

Getting in lots of trail runs in preparation for Beachy Head Marathon, and doing my first trail running race in Italy

Over the summer and into Autumn I really got into trail running. It was spurred on by my failed attempt to make it to the Paris marathon.

Having done all that training, only to not use it I wanted something else to look forward to this year. I had considered doing a mountain marathon, but orienteering with the prospect of getting deserted on a mountain in Cornwall or the Lake District didn't fill me with excitement.

Preparing for Beachy Head Marathon

Eventually I plumped for the Beachy Head Marathon, which struck a good balance of being a challenge, while having signage. Also, with this being a trail run through the South Downs, I would never be that far away from a town or public transport that would get me to Eastbourne or Brighton.

Glad to reach the summit at Teggs Nose Country Park

So with this challenge ahead, I did a fair bit of trail running - around the North Downs, along the Pilgrim's Way, and of course the South Downs - around Devil's Dyke, Ditchling Beacon, and Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

Earlier in the summer I did a run in Cheshire around Macclesfield Forest and Teggs Nose Country Park.

I had been hoping to take part in a fell race that was organised in conjunction with the Sheep Dog Trials, but traffic got the better of me and I missed the start, so did my own improvised run instead, which included going along the Gritstone Trail. It was my first stab at doing a trail run with a very steep gradient, and I loved it.

Teggs Nose Staircase - a lift would've been nice! 

Then a couple of weeks ago while on my trip to Cycle Expo Yorkshire I did a run along the trails of the Yorkshire Dales at Kettlewell.

The initial part of the route went up the dreaded tarmacked climb that cyclists know as Park Rash. I then left the road to go up a steep bridleway up to the stars - well actually to Starbotton.

From there I returned to Kettlewell along a valley trail that was part of the Dales Way. It was a lovely run, especially as it was early on a Sunday morning, and with no one around at this point I had the place to myself.

Trail down to Starbotton after a long climb

I felt lucky too, because there had been a forecast for heavy rain, and I had gone out expecting to get drenched. But somehow the rain stayed away, and only began as I was going up the steps to enter the Youth Hostel.
The rain did get very heavy though, meaning that when I arrived in Harrogate later that morning to take part in the cyclocross race I knew it was going to be a mudbath - and it was!



Trail running Italian style

The following weekend I was in Milan for a weekend of cycling and running. It was mainly cycling that I did, but the most memorable event for me was a trail run called the Bellagio Skyrace.


I had been a little apprehensive about the competition because I had not done much of this sort of racing before - not even in the UK. It wasn't the distance that was the problem, but the altitude gain.

Looking at my Garmin records none of my runs had included more than 500m of climbing, and I was going to be doing double that amount. This could potentially kill my knees or my Achilles tendons, or both, as well as any chance of running the Beachy Head Marathon the following week. Would I be able to get around the race before the organisers packed away the signage and the finish gantry? Was this a really silly thing to do, entering this race as a non-fell runner? I was about to find out.

Around 600 of us lined up in the main piazza of this beautiful town on the shores of Lake Como, and at the gun we sprang out of the blocks running uphill into the forested peaks of this area known as Lario (latin for Como). Half of us were all set to do 14km with 1000m of climbing, while others were doing 28km with 1900m of uphill.

Getting ready for the off in Bellagio main square

Actually, everyone else set off at a fast enthusiastic pace, but I was quite conservative, conscious of the need to not go into the red, and save something for later. Also knowing that I would be running a trail marathon the following week, I really didn't want to wreck myself.

So, it must have looked a bit odd in front of all the townsfolk who had come out to watch us, seeing me all in race gear and with a number on, some 50 metres off the back of the pack. I wasn't going to let these things bother me though. The only problem was the road twisted a bit and at a crossroads, I had to ask some passers-by which way the other runners had gone.

For a time we were running along a road I was familiar with, as it was the cycle route up to the Madonna del Ghisallo sanctuary that I had ridden the previous day. Once we left the road and started running up the trail I began to catch people as a bottle-neck occurred and things were at a stand-still. Also, many people had already started walking as the trail became increasingly steeper.

I swapped places with this lady loads of times as I stopped to take photos

My plan was to run as much of the course as possible. I was able to do so for the first couple of miles, which went along a wide stony trail and then through a field.

As we got deeper into the forest, the trail became steeper as it zigzagged through the trees. It also became narrow and so we were reduced to walking as a single-file procession.

I would have run it if I could but it was too much energy to try and squeeze past people. In any case the path was so steep that I wouldn't have been able to run much faster than walking pace along this section.

The forest was beautiful, and it was great to be able to run through these trees that normally people only tend to see up in the distance at lake level.

Glad to reach the summit - and some wine was waiting just around the corner!

Once at the summit on Monte Nuvolone we ran through a specially erected gantry, marking the 980m above sea level apex.

From here it would be a short distance along the plateau before making our way back down to Bellagio.

I must say that although this was a race I felt that it would be wrong to come all the way over here without stopping to admire the view of Lake Como from an angle that I rarely get to see.

For this reason I stopped and took a few photos. In fact quite a few times I stopped to take photos, meaning that I lost a bit of time on the various people I'd managed to overtake, though I managed to catch them up as they continued to walk, while I chose to run.

I rarely see Lake Como from this angle - would've been rude not to snap it

Further along on the plateau of Monte Nuvolone I stocked up my energy levels at the feed station ready for the descent, which would be taxing on the legs. The marshals at the top jokingly asked me if I would like some wine.

I thought they were being serious (especially as I had previously drunk six glasses of wine at the Bacchus half marathon some weeks before). So I accepted the offer, thinking it was just a normal thing to do during races in Italy. But when they looked at me with a mixture of bemusement and incredulity, I realised this wasn't quite normal. They obliged by serving me a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, probably thinking I was an alcoholic or something. I just happily downed it in one before continuing my run.

Soon I regretted drinking wine as I was faced with a very tricky drop across some boulders. There were ropes cut into the rocks that we could hold onto, but I didn't really trust them and preferred to hold onto the ground to steady myself. Although it was only a short stretch, I found it a little unnerving. The mountain rescue team were on hand, giving tips but I felt more comfortable negotiating this stretch in my own way - even if it looked unelegant being on all fours.

Apart from that slight difficulty, the run back into Bellagio was straightforward technically provided you kept an eye out for the tree roots in the woods, and put your foot in the right places when running over the rocks, stones, and rocks on the stony trail, and you didn't bump into the trees or field furniture along the way.

By this time the number of runners had thinned out from the feed station onwards, with half the field having continued on to do the 28km-course up to Monte Primo (the hightest peak in the area), so it was easy to just settle into a natural pace and not have to worry about anyone on your tail, or trying to get past people. At this point in the race I felt fine physically, and not particularly fatigued which was a good sign. I had run very much within myself, which was what I had wanted to do.

The final run back into the finish line was on a gravel path along the side of Lake Como with lots of people - spectators and tourists - giving encouragement along this home straight. It felt quite special.

On this comparatively smooth stretch I was able to put in a bit of a sprint, so that in front of the spectators I might look a bit more athletic than I did on the outward run through the town. As I neared the finish line, the crowd cheered avidly, and that made me put in an extra spurt. Then I realised they weren't cheering for me, but for the first finisher of the 28km route! The winner was a guy from Rwanda who had basically run exactly twice as fast as I did. Hey ho!

At the finish line I congratulated one or two of the other runners I'd taken turns with overtaking through the race, and discovered that one of the runners was a woman from Fulham Running Club. She was there with a fellow club runner Daphne, who had finished a good few minutes ahead of us, and some other club mates who were doing the long route.

I was just so amazed to see other people from the UK doing this. Normally when I go to races abroad I end up being the novelty competitor from London. So it was good to meet others who'd had the same idea as myself. They invited me to dinner with them at their place near Bellagio, but I had already arranged to meet people back in Milan, so had to decline. Hopefully I'll see them at another race in the area in future.

All good at the finish line

This was definitely a fun race to do. Anyone who does regular trail runs or fell running would find this a breeze, and would probably prefer to do the 28km race. If you're not a trail runner, but run regularly the 14km is still doable, and on the really steep bits a lot of people walk it anyway.

It is one of the most beautiful locations you could choose for a running race, and it was well organised.

 Even for the post-race pasta party the marshals provided table service and you had a view of Lake Como as you wolfed down your farfalle followed by polenta, with wine.

My apprehensions about the race had been completely for nothing. It had all been pretty straightforward, and had definitely set me up nicely for the Beachy Head Marathon.



For those interested, this is the 14-km route on Strava

I can't believe I made the cut for this video. I can be found somewhere at 3mins 45, just after Daphne!
BELLAGIO SKYRACE 2018 - Official Video from URBANPRODUZIONI on Vimeo.


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My Tour of Lombardy: Como, Bellagio, Ghisallo, and ooh Sormano!

After a day riding in the flatlands of surburban Milan, I then tackled the the hills around Lake Como - specifically Madonna del Ghisallo and the Sormano climbs featured in the Giro di Lombardia. I could have plumped for one of many choices - Brunate, Intelvi, or nearby Switzerland to go up Morbio and around Mendrisio.

I was happy to go up the classic climbs as it had been five years since I last rode up these climbs. Also given that the last time I was up there was in my pre-Strava days I wanted to get this ride onto the app. Yes, I was shamelessly pandering to the saying, "if it's not on Strava it didn't happen!"

The drive up to Como was straightforward; parking was not. Como, especially on a sunny Saturday afternoon can get so rammed with locals and tourists that it's impossible to find any free parking in the street. On a previous occasion I'd had to drive around a lot, even though it was first thing on a Saturday morning. I eventually found a place to park for free - in Brunate, 500m above Como and after 3 miles of rather steep technical switchbacks and a close encounter with a runaway bus that was coming down from the village!

This time I wasn't going to go through all that palava, so I surrendered myself to pricey fees of multistorey car park on Viale Lecco.


The road to Bellagio

On cycling out of the car park, very quickly I was climbing as I took the road to Bellagio. It was a picturesque route that went along the side of the lake, with lovely views of Como behind me, with the dome of the cathedral dominating the skyline.

Not exactly Como, but nearby Bellagio!

This road rose up and down, twisting and turning while passing through small villages like Blevio and Torno. There are lots of places to stop and get a coffee or an ice cream, or even have a full sit-down meal by the lake if you really want.

The nearby village of Faggeto Lario even had a lido for anyone fancying a dip. One of these days I will do this route and stop off and have a slap up meal. But for today, I had to push on because I had a plan.

After around 20 miles I arrived on the edge of Bellagio where a right hand turn took me up the road to start the classic climb up to Magreglio where the Madonna del Ghisallo church is located. At this point I began to see even more cyclists than before on the road.


Smack my Switch back

The road up to Madonna del Ghisallo was roughly 10km, so not epic in length, but epic in landscape. In short, it's spectacular.

You do have to pedal hard though, and that's the snag - particularly if you've become lardy and sluggish like me!

Those initial 3 or 4 kilometres of steep bends were a shock to the system as the gradient kicked up suddenly. I was breathing heavily, and worried how I would get through it as this was only the start of the road. A few guys passed me and grunted words of encouragement as they ground their way uphill.

View of Bellagio from the Ghisallo climb

If I wasn't feeling great there was an old boy in a worse state than myself. He was breathing so hard I am sure they could hear him in Como.

I was worried he might have been exerting himself too much for his age, especially with the way he was weaving all over the road.

As I overtook him I said the customary "Ciao" while trying not to rub it in that I was having less difficulty than him on the climb. Soon the road levelled off and he as well as I found some respite from our efforts. At that point I looked behind and spotted Bellagio a long way down from where I had come. No wonder I had had to work so hard!

A couple of guys who had passed me earlier on the switchbacks had stopped at the side of the road to take photos. This was the last point that we would see Lake Como until the summit. Then we all tackled the winding road together - well together for 100m, after which I and the old boy were dropped.

It was a beautiful road that passed through woodland with its lovely autumn colours. It made me look forward to the next day when I was due to take part in a running race on trails through this area.

Almost at the summit of the Ghisallo climb

Soon, the road went downhill, passing a village with a pretty chapel and I stopped, erroneously thinking that I had overshot Madonna del Ghisallo.

But when I saw more riders breezing through, and the road going uphill again in the distance I realised I still had a few more kilometres to ride.

Once at the summit I heaved a sigh of relief, and felt satisfied that I had managed the climb, and I had even passed a couple of guys. Maybe I wasn't so unfit then.

The guys I passed reached the summit shortly after me, and we all congratulated each other and took photos. They were Italians from Turin, who had come to Como for the weekend, specially to ride in this area.

It was funny how they were asking me, a Londoner, about the route ahead. They were debating whether to return to Como via Erba, or take the infamous Sormano. When I told them they would be climbing the hard side of Sormano their decision was made. They would carry on straight down to Erba. My decision was made too. I would descend a little, but instead of going to Erba I would turn right and climb to Sormano to take on this Wall.

Meltdown on the Muro

After a look around the chapel with all its cycling memorabilia, and taking more photos of Lake Como I enjoyed the fast decent towards Erba, but half-way down turned sharp right to enjoy more uphill switchbacks to reach the village of Sormano. This climb was gentle, and a breeze compared with the effort to reach Magreglio.

Again, this was a popular Strava segment as lots of cyclists were on the road in both directions. I also saw some riders who I recognised from the Ghisallo climb when they passed me on the way up. If they were only just passing me now, that meant they must have taken an extended café stop at Ghisallo summit, given that they overtook me on the Sormano climb so fast.

Sormano village, where a beast awaits around the corner

On these types of twisty roads, like on any similar roads in scenic areas the world over, you get plenty of motorcyclists, and this road was no exception. There were loads of them on this sunny Saturday afternoon. Thankfully, they kept a healthy distance from me, so it wasn't bothersome.

Once I'd passed Sormano the landscape became more unkempt and desolate as it went through scrubland and then woodland.

Then I saw the sign for the Muro di Sormano, with its vital statistics laid bare on the ground for all to see. 1600m in length, average gradient 17%, maximum gradient 25%, and all the years this climb has been included in the Giro do Lombardia. Taking this narrow steep lane was not compulsory, as it was possible to stay on the main road and continue the longer and less steep way round. But hey, I didn't come all this way to miss it out. I had to at least attempt it.

It was clear that this was going to be tough, and not even the initial downhill at the start of the lane would lure me into a false sense of security.

As walkers in the woods saw me coming down the road they all commented in Italian saying words to the effect of "I hope you're ready for this, you will need very strong legs."

Don't be fooled by the downhill road. It goes to THE WALL

And they were absolutely right. This climb did not disappoint.

The initial section of road shot up just like a wall. Annoyingly, matters were not helped by a motorist who, in her wisdom tried to drive up this road, then on realising it would be too tough to drive, was trying to 3-point turn the car in the lane. Somehow, I managed to squeeze around her.

I heaved and pushed my way up, my heart pounding, quads burning as I honked out of the saddle; it had me gasping for breath. The gradient must have been a good 22%.

It then eased off - only slightly, but enough for me to be able to stay in the saddle and pedal at a snail-pace cadence.

I must have been moving at barely 2 miles an hour. The road continued along this painful slope, and I could see a bend in the road ahead, and hoped that around the corner things would ease off further. I needed some respite as I was pouring with sweat, and every small lump in the road was too much for me. I was right on the limit and thought I would either melt or combust or both!

Alas it wasn't meant to be, and the road continued at its relentless 17% gradient. After about 400m I put a stop to this purgatory on wheels by climbing off my bike and walking. I am just glad that my road cleats were grippy enough to be able to walk, as this road was not even easy to negotiate on foot.

I can't think of a harder climb than this in all the riding I've done in Italy. The hard side of Mortirolo is pretty tough, and I had a similar experience on that one, but that was only for a brief stretch, and to be honest I wasn't that fit. I've heard Zoncolan is difficult too, but I have yet to ride that one. After that, I would compare this climb with the steep climbs in England, like Hardknott Pass in the Lake District, possibly Winnats Pass in the Peak District, but definitely Wrynose Pass going up from Ambleside. The only saving grace about the Muro di Sormano is that being a narrow lane, it is generally traffic free, unlike the comparable climbs in the UK.

Time was marching on as I plodded through this forest, and the sun was beginning to set. As much as I was enjoying the scenery which mixed woodland with rock, it was still disconcerting not knowing when this road was going to finish. I knew I wasn't far from the main road but it was nowhere in sight and there I was all alone.

None of the riders I had seen earlier were on this road. It seems like they had taken the much easier and sensible option of riding the 5km detour along the very gentle climb known as Colma di Sormano. Maybe I should have done the same, but on all previous occasions that I had cycled this way I had opted for the Colma, and for once I just wanted to try the Muro. I made the immediate decision, though, that this would be the last time I ever "ride" along this road!

One other rider as crazy as myself was attempting this challenge too. It was an old boy in civvies and his bike had a dinner plate-sized cassette so he was able to spin up the road for longer than I managed. But even he gave up the ghost two-thirds of the way up. This Muro di Sormano takes no prisoners!

Eventually, I heard the sound of people shouting above, and getting in their cars. What a relief that I was getting back into civilisation! Once at the top of the road I looked back and marvelled at how far the road had climbed over the one mile stretch - even if I had only managed to cycle half of it.


Out of the Woods and Down to the Lake

Given that it was getting late I didn't bother to stop for a coffee. It was just a case of pushing on back to Como. In fact, I didn't have to push at all because from then on it was just one long descent through the Pian del Tivano, and the village of Nesso. Although the ride was effortless, it did require concentration as the switchbacks were very tight and steep. I needed to be mindful of oncoming vehicles as well as the vehicles that I caught up with.

Even though Lake Como was close by, there was no sign of it below, and I was constantly riding through wild remote woodland. At one point I wondered if I was on the right road.

Eventually the descent took me to the junction with the main road and suddenly the lake reappeared. Phew, I was on the home run. It was just a 15km ride back to Como where I celebrated with an ice cream.

Back to the flatlands at Como where an ice cream awaits

It had felt like a long afternoon, but that was more because of my "hillwalking" experience mid-ride.

I would definitely recommend this loop, though it's not necessary to do the hard option that I went for. You don't have to ride the Muro di Sormano. The Colma is pretty doable and it is also very pretty. Other options from Ghisallo are to leave out Sormano and drop straight down towards Erba, then veer off to Ponte Lambro and take a gently undulating road towards Tavernerio, Ponzate, Civiglio, followed by a fast descent into Como.

If you do go for the more testing loop, use a bike that has the biggest dinner-plate gears you can find, otherwise wear shoes that you can walk in!

Check out my route on Strava


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Bike Como!

Lake Como at Argegno

They are my two words of the day! This time last month that's where I was, and that's where I'd love to be now given the grey damp atmosphere hanging over us in London! I managed to grab a quick weekend away for a cycling trip - something which I haven't done in ages.

It is easy to get a flight to Milan and then catch a local train up to Lake Como. Furthermore, I didn't have to deal with the hassle of carrying my bike on a plane. I hired a nice Pinarello from a local company there, Lake Como Cycling. That made the cycling side of my trip slick and seamless.

I spent time working in Milan not so long ago and for about 18 months Como was my regular hang-out. It was just a case of a local train from Cadorna station, near my bedsit, and in an hour I would be on those beautiful lakeland shores enjoying the sights and sounds of this sought-after destination.

On a bicycle it's a beautiful area to ride. It's not entirely flat, but there are plenty of non-challenging slopes. In fact, if you don't want to go far you can just ride around the gardens near the Villa Olmo.

Start of the climb into the Intelvi Valley

If you want to go further there is an undulating road to Bellagio. While there, look round this chic little town centre and marvel at the views of the northern side of the lake and enjoy a gelato before returning to Como. As you round the twists and turns in the road the Como skyline makes a gradual appearance, then you drop down very fast, and before you know it you are back on the Lungolago.

Alternatively why not challenge yourself a little more and ride up the classic Madonna del Ghisallo climb, and if you are feeling really energetic go over the excruciatingly steep Muro di Sormano. The reward is a beautiful descent after the Pian di Tivano back to the lake road at Nesso.

Or from Ghisallo you can just descend to Ponte Lambro, near Erba and then return to Como via little villages on quiet roads and do a lovely descent from near Ponzate.

These are all routes that I used to do in those days. I thought I'd done the best bits.

Well actually, there's a fair bit more - as I found on my recent trip.

What about the Intelvi Valley. Folks don't really talk about that.

Get past Cernobbio, which can be a bit busy and then go on a quiet road below the main SS340 road, passing small villages, including Laglio, where George Clooney has a property. You arrive at Argegno and the fun starts there.

A 10km climb leads up to a series of villages with Intelvi in their name, the main one being San Fedele Intelvi. At this point we are in border country, as Switzerland is literally a stone's throw away. If your bike chips along a stone that stone could just as likely land in Italy as Switzerland!

Lugano near Porlezza

It was a beautiful sunny day in Italy, but strangely enough on my descent to Lake Lugano the day was quite a contrast on the Swiss side - cold, damp and grey. The sun had completely by-passed that area, but still the views of the various settlements along the lake shores were atmospheric.

I could have returned to Lake Como via the SS340 to reach Menaggio but why do that when you can go into the Val Rezzo! So that's where I went - another gradual climb up to an area that was practically devoid of much human life, just various hillside farms and old buildings. I did see a postman in his mini van-float. He must have had a fun job delivering mail to all ten recipients - even if they were spread over a 20km radius!

Up in the hills at Val Rezzo (near Carlazzo)

In any case the valley was beautiful. There were signs to go to other valleys further up, like the Val Carvagna with grottos and suchlike. However, time was marching on for me so I eventually had to drop back down along another twisty but scenic descent to the Menaggio road.

Como - my favourite lake!

I must admit, by then I was getting a little bit tired as I began to feel the 70km I had ridden. My lack of fitness was beginning to tell, and I began to contemplate letting the ferry do the remaining 20km for me back to Como. After all, I had done 60km the previous day and over these two days I hadn't had any cake! A trip along the lake would be a just reward. In the end I soldiered on by bike back to Como - I had no choice. The ferry man at Argegno said that on this busy Saturday afternoon he couldn't admit a bike until the 6pm crossing, and I wasn't prepared to wait two hours.

Back in Como, I felt really satisfied to have visited the old hang-outs that I knew and loved, as well as some new very interesting territory. And I still had time to go along for the passeggiata and have an ice cream.

Our Lady of Cyclists - Madonna del Ghisallo

View Como-Ghisallo loop in a larger map

One must-do loop while in Milan is the one where you go and pay tribute to the patron saint of cycling in Italy.
In this day and age of road rage, restricted budgets for cycle safety or staging cycle races, it's good to appreciate the positive things in place for cyclists.

Situated near Como, at the top of a village called Magreglio is the Madonna del Ghisallo - a chapel dedicated to cycling, and a museum. Thousands of keen cyclists come to this place at weekends to either visit the museum or to light a candle and say a prayer.

I have found a very pleasant loop from Como to the Ghisallo and back. It's very scenic, especially on the road up from Como to Bellagio. Also, if you get the chance to hang out in Bellagio do so. The town is a marvel.

It's quite upmarket, even compared to Como so try and ride your best looking bike and your most stylish cycling clothes. (This advice is aimed at all nationalities of bike rider apart from the naturally stylish Italians, for which this tip is completely unnecessary!)

Riding along to Bellagio is easy enough and is a joy, especially as it is the least busy of all the lakeside roads. 
The road twists around the rocky facades and the lake meanders in different directions, revealing more surprises. There are a couple of tunnels along the way, but they are well lit.

The Madonna del Ghisallo climb is a well-known feature of the Giro di Lombardia professional cycle race - one point where the decisive moves can be made. As with other climbs in iconic cycle races, lots of club riders like to have a go at riding up this climb "at their leisure".

 It is not a long ascent - around 8km, though the first 4km are the toughest. Some sections of the hairpins are above 15%, and the road twists and turns as you tackle one relentlessly steep hairpin after another.

After around 3km there is a wide lay-by with a viewpoint. It makes for a very convenient spot to stop and admire the view of Bellagio and Lake Como down below. It's also a good excuse for a rest! As you look behind you feel quite impressed with yourself at how far up you have climbed.

Once you reach this point the worst of the climbing is over, as the gradient becomes a little shallower and there is even a mile or so of descending.

After the village of Civenna the road begins to climb again for about a mile and as you reach Magreglio you begin to see cyclists milling around. You then know you've reached the summit. This place definitely merits a stopover.


The chapel is like a mini museum, with various exhibits - bicycles from past and present professional cyclists, plus other memorabilia including cycle jerseys. The bicycle that Fabio Casartelli rode at the time of his fatal crash in the 1995 Tour de France is even on display. Also Cadel Evans donated his World Champion's Jersey and his 2011 Tour de France yellow jersey to the chapel too.
Inside, lots of people light candles and make a charity donations. And for a bit of divine inspiration there is also a little prayer for the welfare of cyclists (in Italian) that you can say before hitting the road.

If you haven't seen enough cycling exhibits there is an actual museum within the grounds, just 20m down from the chapel. For those who aren't bothered about cycling memorabilia there are stalls selling sweets, and some great areas for more photo snaps of Lake Como and the surrounding area.

The first time I rode up this climb I found myself among a group of cyclists who were taking part in a cyclosportive - the Gran Fondo Fabio Casartelli. I ended up playing cat and mouse with a few of the competitors.

It made me feel good that I managed to do the climb quicker than some of the guys around me - I didn't even need to stop, unlike a few of them. The thing is, I was climbing this at the same time as the stragglers in the race, and I don't think any of them were under 55 years old! Also they had probably already ridden around 100km prior to reaching this point where I only had about 20km in my legs! I got a clap and a few cheers of "complimenti" from the spectators, which made me feel even more of a fraud!

Completing the loop back to Como is not difficult. The Ghisallo climb is the hardest part, so afterwards it's a case of sitting back and relaxing while you enjoy lots of descending. The best part is the section down to Canzo. You then head towards Ponte Lambro and Erba where you have a bit of false flat and a mini climb. After that it is a flat ride through various small villages (Albavilla, Albese, Tavernerio, Solzago) after which you enjoy a final whooshing descent into the centre of Como.

When I finish this 70km-loop I always arrive back into the town feeling all exhilarated at having done a very pleasant ride and appreciated one of the most beautiful views around.

More details of the route are here.

For those wanting to try something slightly more challenging, instead of descending all the way down to Asso/Canzo from Ghisallo, take a sharp right hand turn to Sormano. This road climbs gradually up many switchbacks to reach the village,  where you have the option to attempt the infamous Muro di Sormano (2km at an average of 15% gradient).

After Sormano the route goes through a high glacial valley known as the Pian del Tivano - big tourist spot for walking, cross-country skiing, caving, or popping into an agroturismo. The road then descends dramatically to Nesso where you rejoin the original outbound lakeside road back to Como.

This is definitely a route to go for if you are in the Como/Milan area. There is even a local company that hires out nice road bikes if you don't have your own. So there's no excuse not to ride it!