Passo Campolongo — 1,875 metres between Arabba and Corvara

Campolongo is the finish line of the Sellaronda. It is the lowest and shortest of the four passes on the loop, 6 km of forested climbing from either side, and after the three harder cols it feels almost like a rest day. Almost.

History

The saddle between Arabba and Corvara has been a cross-valley path for centuries, linking the Val Cordevole to the Val Badia — two of the last strongholds of Ladin, the Romance language spoken by about 20,000 people in the central Dolomites. Corvara at the northern foot and Arabba at the southern are both Ladin-speaking villages. The modern road was paved in the inter-war period and widened after World War II, and it has been a Sellaronda regular ever since the loop became a pilgrimage for Dolomite cyclists in the 1970s.

Riding it

Six kilometres from either side, at a steady 6%. From Arabba the road climbs through spruce with glimpses of the Marmolada glacier behind you. From Corvara it rises gently past La Para and the Pralongia plateau, one of the best high-meadow panoramas in the Dolomites.

The summit itself is modest: a broad wooded saddle with a handful of hotels and a small chapel. The real reward is the view back toward the Sella walls, which dominate the skyline from here in a way they don't from the other three passes of the loop.

Along the way

• La Para / Pralongia plateau — Rolling summer pasture above Corvara with 360-degree views across the Dolomite range.
• Arabba — A compact ski village at the southern foot of the pass, a useful overnight base for riding the loop.
• Corvara — The Ladin-speaking main town of Val Badia at the northern foot, with good cafés and a strong local identity.
• View back at the Sella walls — From the summit the vertical limestone walls of the Sella group dominate the skyline, one of the defining Dolomite panoramas.
• Sellaronda loop — Campolongo is the eastern quarter of the 55 km circuit.