Double Stelvio Day!!

It makes me feel quite, unusually, emotional when I think of the ride I have completed today. 

For years and years I have looked at photos of The Stelvio, starred at the webcam and swooned over the switchbacks. 

Today I climbed The Stelvio, not once but twice; from Bormio and then from Prato, with a descent via The Umbrail Pass to make the loop complete. 

70 miles and 11,401 (1 being important...!) feet of climbing. 

I spoke to a couple of random cycling Italians as I pedalled and thought, never did I dare dream I'd do this, fuel myself, hydrate myself and sing myself to the top of an epic climb twice in a day. 

Mentally, my current mountain still needs to be climbed, but I am determined to reach the top and turn the current extreme negative into something positive. 

:')