Cycling the Sella Ronda Italy

The best road riding route in the Dolomites?

The 51km loop, of which four varying climbs make up 30km of it, can be done clockwise or anticlockwise, we chose as advised by many to ride anti-clockwise. We parked up in Canazei, aiming to start up the Passo Pordoi, followed by Passo Campolongo, Passo Gardena and finally the Passo Sella.

Just outside of Canazei itself is a handy parking area right at the base of the Passo Pordoi, which is free, provides a loo and water fountain. It’s also a stone’s throw away from the town where a number of cafés, bars and shops are for a post ride reward.

First up was the Passo Pordoi, a wonderful 12km smooth climb with a forgiving elevation averaging 7.1%, with 8 tight hairpins greeting you within the first few km. The remainder of the climb is a real treat, especially on fresh legs. We meet Georgio near the top who comes here regularly from Trento. At 70 he’s out for one of his favourite challenges, cycling a large loop encompassing the Passo Fedaia, a brutal climb of steep decent. Father of 6 and grandfather of 4 this is his mindfulness time and why would you not, the Dolomites provide first rate mountain riding. At the peak of the Pordoi the view starts to unfold, you can almost see all the way down to Arabba. This descent is an absolute treat, certainly one of the most memorable due to its super smooth roads, variety of corners, outstanding view and at this time of year blissfully quiet roads. One down, three to go.

If you’ve not visited the Dolomites before (like me prior to this trip) then I can not recommend it more highly, cyclist or not.

The Dolomite mountains look other-worldly, it’s like nothing I’ve seen before, its beauty is almost indescribable and makes the climbing even more rewarding.

The second climb Passo di Campolongo is the shortest of the four at 4km with a peaky 10% section, it was for me the least memorable and leads you into the descent to the famous ski town of Corvara, in season there’s plenty of restaurants and café’s open for a mid-ride stop. Two down, two to go.

At this point you look west up the valley and can see the top of the Passo Gardena. This is the hardest climb of the four and had a couple of sections over 12%, though surprisingly it was only 9km averaging 6.7% and can be described in 2 parts, the more direct steep route to start, passing through Colfosco then the second half, more typically alpine with its steep hairpins and long views back down the valley. Three down, just one to go.

The final climb up the Passo Sella is tough, especially with 3 climbs already in the legs. Just a final 5.3km averaging 7.1% gradient. The views right over the rolling hills of the ski resort and up towards the Sassolungo Langkofel are imposing and take your mind of the effort at hand. In October the tree leaves are drenched in deep orange ,which adds to the majesty of the landscape.

As we reach the top of the Passo Sella, the most touristy of the passes even at this time of year, you are again greeted with diverse views of this mountain range including the Sassolungo, Sella Massif and the Marmolada glacier. We don our jackets for another speedy decent back down toward Canazei and head straight to a café to enjoy an espresso and debrief the day, reflecting on the achievement of circumnavigating the mountain.

The route really is up and down with little to no flat, so makes for a great achievement, I’m looking forward to riding it clockwise next time given how enjoyable it was. You can also ski the loop, something to add to the ever growing list.

We head back to the van and see our Passo Pordoi friend Georgio cycle the opposite way. He’s been out for a few hours longer than us and is still full of cheer and enthusiasm for his days riding. We hope to be this fit and able later in life… still taking on some of the best places to ride in the world.

For further ride details here’s a link to the Strava activity – https://www.strava.com/activities/7981968606