Dolomite Passes & Roads
The Dolomites are located in the Eastern Alps, north-eastern Italy, and rise to 3,343m - the highest peak being Marmolada. For the most part they are in the province of Belluno, and to a lesser extent the provinces of Bolzano-Bozen and Trento. Typically the mountain range is divided into two - Western (Dolomiti di Brenta) and Eastern. West and east are separated by a line that follows the Valle dell'Adige. We made our first trip to the Dolomites in June 2009 and quite simply, it was stunning.
Passes & Roads Ridden
(Over 1,000m)
Rides of note: 
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Passo di Sella - 2,244m
Passo di Pordoi - 2,239m
Passo di Giau - 2,233m
Passo di Valparola - 2,192m
Passo di Gardena - 2,121m
Passo di Falzarego - 2,105m
Passo di Fedaia - 2,057m
Passo di Valles - 2,033m
Passo di Rolle - 1,955m
Passo di San Pellegrino - 1,918m
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Passo di Campolongo - 1,875m
Passo di Lavaze - 1,805m
Forcella Staulanza - 1,773m
Passo di Costalunga - 1,745m
Passo Nigra - 1,688m
Passo Duran - 1,601m
Passo Cimabanche - 1,529m
Passo di Pramadiccio - 1,431m
Passo di Cereda - 1,378m
Forcella Aurine - 1,299m
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Passo di Sella - 2,244m Route: SS242 Selva di Val Gardena - Canazei 13 miles
The Sella pass connects the Val Gardena in the Bolzano province with the Val di Fasso in the Trentino province. The Gardena and Pordoi passes run off it. Together with the Campolongo pass running between Arabba and Corvara these 4 passes form a quadrangle surrounding the Sella massif.
From both sides the Sella - although tight in places - is reasonably surfaced and reasonably open so you can get a good flow going. Our first pass in the Dolomites, crossed by both groups on the way to Arabba on 10th June 2009.
Passo di Pordoi - 2,239m Route: SR48 Arraba - Passo di Sella 10 miles
Climbing up from Arabba the first thing you see is a sign saying “32 Tornanti”. A “tornanti” is a hairpin so you know what’s in store for you. However, compared say to the Stelvio, the hairpins are on the whole reasonably wide. Even so, it’s difficult to get much of a flow going on either the way up or the way down to the Sella. Apparently if you like Marmot spotting this is a great pass to visit in July/August to hear them whistling to each other.
Passo di Giau - 2,233m Route: SP Del Passo Giau Pocol - Selva di Cadore 14 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
From Pocol the road twists and turns as it gradually climbs about 680m in about 4.5 miles to the summit. The general opinion from our group was that the road surface was not as grippy as it appeared. The views from the summit are breathtaking, in all directions. The descent is far steeper, dropping 1,000m in 5 miles with a series of tight bends. Kyle and Phil both thought it was better to approach from the Pocol end and descend towards Selva di Cadore.
Passo di Valparola - 2,192m Route: SP San Cassiano La Villa - Passo di Falzarego 9.6 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
Riding north from Corvara takes you to La Villa where a right turn takes you onto the Valparola. We thought this was a really nice open road where even the hairpins were nice and wide, although the experience on the day was slightly spoiled by some resurfacing at key points. Towards the top you pass some WWI fortifications. Before WWI there was only a rough track but this was turned into a road as part of the need to get supplies and men to the front. Just after the top the road drops down to join the Falzarego.
Passo di Gardena (aka Grodner Joch) - 2,121m Route: SS243 Corvara - Passo di Sella 9 miles
A really pretty and flowing pass both up and down. You can see the pass summit as soon as you leave Corvara and from fairly early on from the Sella side. Since it takes a lot of skiing traffic the road is fairly wide and well surfaced.
Passo di Falzarego - 2,105m Route: SR48 Andraz - Cortina 16 miles
Leaving Arabba, the road to Cortina winds gently along the side of the valley until you reach Andraz where the climb up the Falzarego starts. The name Falzarego means "false king" and refers to the legend of the King of the Fanes who was turned to stone for betraying his people. The surface on the ascent is good albeit not that grippy. As a main route it’s typically wide and reasonably open. At the top the Passo di Valparola joins it from the north. There are excellent views in both directions and a cable car runs up the Lagazuoi, the scene of fierce fighting between the Italians and Austrians in WWI.
On the descent the road surface was often poor with a lot of distortion but on the whole still enjoyable. The descent marked the day long transformation of Kyle's riding, when he was certainly on top of his game on the "18 Passes in a Day" ride with Phil! Near Pocol on the descent there is a right turn to the Passo di Giau.
Passo di Fedaia (aka Marmolada) - 2,057m Route: SS641 Canazei - Rocca Pietore 14.9 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
From Canazei a fast flowing road with just about 5 open hairpins takes you up to the top of the Fedaia. After skirting the lake the road drops down the valley in similar style to Rocca Pietore.
At the top to your right is the Marmolada group containing the highest mountain in the Dolomites, and one of the many museums dealing with the WWI conflict between Italy and Austria.
Passo di Valles - 2,033m Route: SP81 Passo di Rolle - Falcade Alto 9 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
A couple of miles below the Passo di Rolle towards Predazzo is a right turn up the Passo Valles. The road is quiet and runs along side a mountain stream. Its extremely pretty and nice to ride as well as the road flows nicely through woods before it emerges above the tree line at the top of the pass. The run down towards Falcade is nice too, with only a couple of hairpins to interrupt your flow. Before you turn off towards Falcade, the road bears to the left and the San Pellegrino pass starts.
Passo di Rolle - 1,955m Route: SS50 Fiero di Primiero - Predazzo 26 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
A fairly main route in the Dolomites with all the disadvantages that entails i.e. a lot of traffic, some of which lacks the discipline to stay on their side of the road. This indisciplined traffic includes bikes. Phil twice came round a bend to find a bike heading for him! The road was well surfaced but it's not easy to keep up a good rhythm, especially in the lower reaches from Fiera to San Martin di Castrozza, where the pass proper started. Unfortunately the need to keep your wits about you on any road of this type were emphasized by coming round a corner to find a lot of bikes parked up along with an ambulance containing what we envisaged to be a seriously injured biker.
Passo di San Pellegrino - 1,918m Route: SS346 Falcade - Moena 11 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
From Falcade the road twists and turns through a series of tightish bends including some hairpins up through the trees until towards the top it opens out into a fast and flowing road. From the top down the road has been designed to bring ski traffic up to the resorts at the summit and so the road is wide fast and flowing. This pass was liked by all who rode it, and was good from either direction, hence the rating.
Passo di Campolongo - 1,875m Route: SP244 Arabba - Corvara 6 miles
A fairly nondescript pass. A few gentle hairpins at each end and a flowing stretch in the middle denote this pass – if it wasn’t for the sign you probably wouldn’t even think of it as a pass.
Passo di Lavaze - 1,805m Route: SS620 Cavalese - Ponta Nova 13.6 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
A pass road which flowed nicely both up and down. Open at the top most of the descent to Ponta Nova was spent riding through the forest either side of the road.
Forcella Staulanza - 1,773m Route: SP Della Val di Zoldo Selva di Cadore - Dont 13.4 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
A nice fast open road that takes you south from Selva to the bottom of Passo Duran at Don’t. The road climbs gradually and you might not notice the pass were it not for a refugio on the right.
Passo di Costalunga (aka Karerpass) - 1,745m Route: SS241 Ponta Nova - San Giovanni 14.4 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
From the Ponta Nova end the pass climbs in a nice flowing manner up past the Karersee – a beautiful lake on the right hand side. Towards the top there’s a turn left to the Passo Nigra. On the descent to San Giovanni, the road is much tighter, This road has a lot of tourist traffic so again it was beware on blind bends as you could come round and find a tour pass leaving you with just 3 or 4 feet to spare, or as on the Rolle, bikes on your side of the road!
Passo Nigra (aka Nigerpass) - 1,688m Route: SP65 Prato all'Isarco - Carezza al Lago 21 miles
Ridden: 10/06/2009
This pass was only constructed in 1957 so must be one of the newest passes around. It's also the steepest pass in Italy with sections with a 24% gradient. It connects the Tires valley with the Costalunga, joining the latter just below the summit. Ridden by Pete, Gaz and Mark on their way to Arabba.
Passo Duran - 1,601m Route: SS347 Dont - Agordo 13 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
This pass seems to be a bit Marmite - most of the group disliked it although Kyle loved it. Those that disliked it were of the opinion that if it wasn't for the fact that you need to use it as a link pass on the "18 Passes in a Day" route, they wouldn’t have bothered riding it - altogether forgettable. The road up from Don’t is largely single track, with a poor road surface and lots of completely blind bends although the descent is a bit better.
On the other hand Kyle loved the single track that weaves its way up between a mixture of walls, houses and forests, before finally arriving at a small rifugio at the top. Ride it and make up your own mind.
Passo Cimabanche - 1,529m Route: SS51 Cortina - Dobbiaco 21 miles
Ridden: 11/06/2009
This pass isn't really noticeable as such. In fact we didn't notice it the time when we rode en route to the Grossglockner - it was only noticed after we returned when Phil was checking ViaMichelin for some route details. The road over it is a pleasant sweeping road taking you from Cortina north to Dobbiaco, albeit with a few sections with a poor and deformed surface. On the way north from Cortina after passing the summit you can take a right turn up the Passo Tre Croce.
Passo di Pramadiccio - 1,431m Route: SP215 Tesero - Passo Lavaze 4.3 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
It’s questionable whether this deserves the title of pass. From Tesero the road is signposted Passo Lavaze but as you climb out of town to join up with the SS620 from Cavalese to Ponta Nova you come across the sign indicating the pass. Technically speaking the road does drop down – just - before joining the 620.
Passo di Cereda - 1,378m Route: SP347 Gosaldo - Fierea di Primiero 10 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
The road from Forcella Aurine continues in the same vein over the Passo di Cereda which is only 70m higher. A pleasant enough road.
Forcella Aurine - 1,299m Route: SP347 Agordo - Gosaldo 10 miles
Ridden: 12/06/2009
The road out of Agordo is a pleasant and undemanding climb over the lowest pass in the 18 pass route. You are always beneath the tree line so the scenery is not as bare as on the higher passes.
