Passo Pordoi — 2,239 metres in the heart of the Dolomites

The Pordoi is the busiest pass in the Dolomites, which is saying something. From the saddle at 2,239 metres you can look straight up at the sheer limestone walls of the Sella group, vertical kilometres of rock that look airbrushed in. The climb itself is almost gentle by local standards, which makes the views almost impolite.

History

The Pordoi has been a Giro d'Italia regular since 1940 and holds the record for most "Cima Coppi" honours: 14 times the highest point of the race. At the summit, a bronze monument to Fausto Coppi stands where he crossed first in 1940 and again in 1947. Italian cyclists stop here on the way by.

Riding it

From Arabba on the north side, 11.8 km of steady switchbacks at a kind 6.9% average. The hairpins are generous, the asphalt good, the scenery better. The south side from Canazei is similar in length and grade. The complete Sellaronda loop (Pordoi, Sella, Gardena, Campolongo) strings together the four corners of the Sella group in a single day, one of the definitive Dolomite rides.

Along the way

• Sass Pordoi cable car — A cable car from the pass summit to the 2,950 m plateau on top of the Sella massif, offering a lunar landscape and views across the entire Dolomite range.
• WW1 Austro-Hungarian positions — Remnants of First World War fortifications and tunnels carved into the rock near the pass, part of the former front line between Italy and Austria-Hungary.
• Canazei — The main village in the Val di Fassa on the south side, a Ladin-speaking town with good cafés and the natural base for riding the Sella Ronda loop.
• Arabba — A small ski village on the north side and the start of the classic Pordoi climb, quieter than Canazei and well-positioned for the Dolomite passes.
• Passo Sella, Passo Gardena, Passo Campolongo — The three sibling passes of the Sella group.
• Sellaronda loop — The 55 km circuit that strings all four together.