LUCKY RIDE IN THE RESIA VALLEY BEFORE THE DESTRUCTION OF ITS ROAD

 

A SHORT PAUSE AT ONE OF THE DOWNHILL CORNERS OF THE ROAD
WHILE COMING BACK FROM STOLVIZZA 

It's Thursday 14th of July and I wake up inspired to visit the Resia valley, so I get ready and ride till the core of it, unaware that I'm just one week apart from a chain of events that drastically will change the landscape and the viability of this area.

In fact, starting the 20th of July, a devastating extended fire of 9 days of duration, followed by a series of rains and massive rockslides, has ruined once and for all the SP42, in that moment the unique connection of the valley with the rest of the world!

So, in retrospective, I can say I'm one of the last motorcyclists to have ridden the old version of this road, lost forever. 

After the emergency, the SP64 has been necessarily closed for a total reconstruction, and temporarily substituted by an unusual passage way built of  gravel upon the very course of the Resia creek. 

FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS POST, I ZOOMED IN THE MAP, SO THAT I FRAMED THE CENTRAL PART OF MY TRIP ONLY (AMD CUT OFF THE STARTING AND FINAL POINT, THAT IS MY HOME, IN SOPRAPALUDO, SAN DANIELE DEL FRIULI - UD).
THE RED CROSS INDICATES THE POINT WHERE THE FORK, AND THE WHITE DOTTED LINE INDICATES THE ROAD TO SLOVENIA. THIS OTHER ROAD WAS ALREADY (AND STILL IS NOWADAYS AND WILL KEEP BEING FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG) CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE WORKS. 

North Eastern Italy, very near the borderline with Slovenia 

[Udine County]

14.07.2022 

The Resia valley (in Italian, Val di Resia, named after the Resia creek) lies in the Alps called Giulie and hosts an ancient community whose dialect has its roots in the Slovenian language.

It's one of the places where my parents would bring me for amusing family picnics and refreshing baths in the creek during the Summer holidays of my childhood.

Today I decide it to explore it with my Indian, after having missed it for some years.

I reach the point of entrance in the valley from the SS13 and I follow the SP64 till the villages Prato di Resia, San Giorgio and then Stolvizza. 

The next and last village in the valley is Coritis: after that one, the asphalted road is interrupted and the only way to keep on going towards East would be through dirt tracks and mountain paths. I wish to go to Coritis, the true goal of my childish memories, but I let this pleasure for another time.

After visiting Stolvizza I go back to the SP64 again, with the intention of checking out if I feel like picking the most adventurous option I have in this area, which is: reaching the only significant fork and taking the road that connects the Resia valley with Slovenia.

But at the fork I find out a signal pre-announcing that that road, which is the only way out of the valley besides the SP64, is closed from the crossing point called Sella Carnizza all the way long until Uccea (the village just at the borderline), with no further explanation (I will then discover the reason why: maintenance of the guardrails).

That's somehow like a premonition for me, so I decide to turn around and go back to the same road I was coming from: the SP64. I still don't know this is actually a farewell!

I exit the Resia valley, return to the main road, the SS13, and stop at the town of Resiutta for a typical touristic lunch. Finally, considering myself satisfied, I go back home without searching for more distractions.

So... imagine my feelings when, exactly 7 days after my trip, I listen to the news reporting about the impressive fire that has hit the Resia valley and has rapidly covered the area causing damage and destruction! 

As a consequence, the Resia valley has resulted completely isolated, just in the middle of the Summer, since both ways of access to it have been not viable at the same time, with no alternative way to come or go, and in a state of alert that officially has lasted 12 days!!!

National and local forces have been massively employed in the extraordinary operations of extinguishing the huge fire and building at incredible speed the passage way made of gravel upon the Resia creek, which has been opened to the traffic in the morning of 30th of July.

The new version of the SP64 will be available in late Autumn, according to the experts.

ONE OF THE BRIDGES UPON THE RESIA CREEK

THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA

THE FASCINATING CANYON OF THE RESIA CREEK

THE VILLAGE OF STOLVIZZA. THE RESIA VALLEY HAS GOT AROUND 1.000 INHABITANTS WHO EXPERIENCED THE TOTAL ISOLATION FOR ABOUT 12 DAYS.

FINAL POINT OF MY TRIP IN THE RESIA VALLEY. I COULD HAVE GONE TILL CORITIS,
BUT I HAD A SENSATION OF "NOT THIS TIME". ANOTHER OMEN PERHAPS?

MEDITATION BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DOWNHILL CORNER

 

ENJOY THE 360° VIEW BY WATCHING THE FOLLOWING VIDEO:

I DECIDE TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK TO WHERE I'VE COME FROM WHEN I SEE THAT THE BORDERLINE WITH SLOVENIA, ONLY 16 KM FROM HERE, IS NOT REACHABLE.

Basically, the road leading to Slovenia has been closed for maintenance of the guardrails (and still is now while I'm writing, and presumably will be, at least for a certain amount of time, in the future).

ANOTHER BRIDGE OVER THE RESIA CREEK

RESIUTTA, THE TOWN NEAR TO RESIA, DEVELOPS ALONG THE MAIN ROAD (THE FAMOUS SS 13) 
AND ITS POPULAR FOR ITS SPIT ROASTED CHICKEN 

THE MOUNTAINS OF THE RESIA VALLEY AS SEEN FROM THE MAIN ROAD (SS 13).
AMONG THE HIGHEST PEAKES, THE MOUNTAIN CANIN (2.587 meters a.s.l.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENTS HAPPENED AFTER MY TRIP
AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FIRE:

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT A VIDEO DOCUMENTING THE PASSAGE WAY BUILT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE SP42 (VIDEO FROM THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER WEBSITE)

THE PASSAGE WAY BUILT OF GRAVEL UPON THE COURSE OF THE RESIA CREEK (PHOTO FROM THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER WEBSITE)

THE SIDE OF THE SP64 BURNED BY THE FIRE
WHICH HAS DRASTICALLY CHANGED THE RESIA VALLEY AND ITS ONLY ROAD (PHOTO FROM THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER WEBSITE)