Report from the ascent to Passo Giau from Cortina d'Ampezzo and Passo Falzarego from Pocol:
The plan to conquer both mountain passes was to start from Cortina towards Giau, descend to Caprile, and then return to Cortina through Falzarego. The planned route is here;
We leave the car at a trusted parking spot. The sunny weather and warmth encourage us to ride, although dark clouds hovering over the peaks raise some concerns.
The first part of the 15-kilometer climb to Passo Giau is the section up to Pocol. The gradient is quite pleasant, averaging around 6%. After leaving Cortina, the road traverses the slope, revealing a beautiful panorama of Cortina d'Ampezzo with Punta Nera in the background on the left. I stop to take a few pictures, knowing that it will be difficult to do so during the descent. The road leads to both Giau and Falzarego, splitting into two directions only in Pocol.
After the left turn, we initially have about 1 km of gentle descent. Then the arduous ascent to Passo Giau begins. From this point, my Garmin shows an average gradient of about 10% until the end. As we leave the forest, large stretches of snow appear. It's chilly, around 8 °C. Along the way, there are many picturesque switchbacks. There are no extremely steep sections, but it remains consistently steep. The pass itself is breathtaking, with the famous triangular rock formation called Ra Gusela. If it were sunny, it would be even more beautiful. However, the dark clouds do not foretell anything good. We stop at Berghotel Passo Giau. I have two coffees and eat a slice of strudel, while my friends opt for something more substantial :-). Due to the uncertain weather, we decide to return the same way and look for an alternative challenge. The decision is sealed by the rain starting to fall.
We descend slowly and cautiously at the beginning. It's steep and wet. Once we enter the forest, the rain stops, the road dries, and we can pick up the pace.
Upon reaching the junction in Pocol, the weather is already warm. The idea arises to tackle Falzarego from this side after all. The 10 km and approximately 500 m uphill don't seem too daunting. And indeed, despite its length, the ascent is not demanding and, truth be told, not exceptionally interesting either. As the kilometers pass, the weather starts to worsen. About 1 km before the pass, it begins to hail heavily, and the temperature drops significantly. We stop at Bar Bazar (the smaller one). We are the only customers in the tavern. After a while, the cyclist we met on Giau, Andrew from Australia, enters. We chat for a while, exchanging impressions. He promised to visit cyclingclimbs.eu and share his experiences from his 8-week stay on European mountain routes... Andrew, warm greetings!! :-)
The descent is once again in the rain, and as usual, the closer we get to Cortina, the better the weather starts to improve.
In conclusion, in my opinion, Passo Giau is stunning and highly recommended, while Passo Falzarego is more of a must-check-off-the-list :-)
I believe that the original route with the ascent to Falzarego from Caprile would be much more interesting, which I will not fail to check out and share my impressions :-)
Logistic summary:
Parking in Cortina d'Ampezzo, according to the website, is open 24 hours a day, with seasonal fees: €2 for the first three hours of parking and €1 for each subsequent hour;
The road surface on Passo Giau is very good, while the last 2 kilometers of the ascent to Falzarego have potholed asphalt;
The best places for a gastronomic break are: the café at Hotel Argentina in Pocol with outdoor seating;
Berghotel Passo Giau - stoliki wewnątrz i na zewnątrz;
with both indoor and outdoor seating, and there are several dining options before and at Passo Falzarego;
In Cortina, there is a wide selection of places for coffee, lunch, and dinner;