Grind up the iconic switchbacks of the Dolomites
Val Badia, Fodom, and Ampezzo. Study the roads that connect the villages and plan in advance for their elevation gains.
Many pages of cycling history have been written on the Campolongo, Falzarego, and Valparola. Choose the route that is most suitable to your fitness and take a look at the elevation gain before making your call.
"Da pera a pera", from stone to stone: this is how the locals call the last, very tough, 100 meters to reach the top of the Valparola. Constant gradient between 12% and 15%.
The Mür dl Giat is a 350m climb with a maximum gradient of 19%.
Val Badia, Fodom, and Ampezzo. Study the roads that connect the villages and plan in advance for their elevation gains.
The Campolongo pass connects the villages of Corvara and Arabba. From the first switchbacks, you can admire the Sassongher, the striking peak that dominates the scene in Corvara. This is where the Maratona starts, and its first kilometres are perfect for warming up the legs.
The beauty of the Falzarego is well known in the cycling community. The road is not steep and always allows you to admire the scenery with every pedal stroke. You'll also cycle through an area where tragic battles were fought during World War I.
You will not forget the final stretch of the Valparola before the col – its last 100 meters are between 12% and 15%. Cyclists call this segment "from stone to stone" because there is nothing you can do other than moving slowly, from one stone to the next. However, the view of the Dolomites mountain range at the top pays you back for all your hard work.
Length: 5.8 km
Max gradient: 13%
Average gradient: 6%
KOM Giro d'Italia: 14 minutes, 13 seconds
The Campolongo isn't the hardest pass you can tackle on a bike. And its pastoral and rural setting – with fields and cow herds – make you feel at peace. The relatively easy gradients also help you to enjoy the fresh mountain air without suffering oxygen deficit. Climbing up from Corvara, the slopes reach a maximum steepness of 10%, but only for a short time. After the Golf Club, the road straightens again and the incline reduces to 7-8%.
Length: 10.5 km
Max gradient: 11%
Average gradient: 6%
KOM Giro d'Italia: 28 minutes, 59 seconds
The Falzarego has a constantly steady climb, its slopes rarely reaching 10%. After the junction with the iconic Passo Giau, the Falzarego road snakes up through a series of switchbacks in the shade of the forest. Above the woods, a series of straight roads allow cyclists to admire the Sass de Stria mountain, another area of poignancy that was on the front line from WWI. The last 4km of the Falzarego are more challenging, and the road passes through two evocative tunnels. At the end, the Lagazuoi and the crossroad to the top await.
Length: 1.1 km
Max gradient: 15%
Average gradient: 8%
KOM Giro d'Italia: 3 minutes, 29 seconds
The last kilometre is short but brutal. It comes at the end of the day, when your legs are tired from the other cols. Its ramps reach a maximum gradient of 15%, and the last 100 meters (the notorious 'from stone to stone') can bring cyclists into a very dark place. It seems like the road will never end. But at the top, the pain vanishes – and pedalling in the Dolomites becomes rewarding again.