Report on the Sella Ronda ride from Arabba:
This is the third and final day of our cycling trip in the Italian mountains; the weather is better than yesterday, so today we decide to ride the Sella Ronda clockwise, so we can approach Passo Campolongo from Corvara this time;
Right from leaving the house, a 9-kilometer climb to Passo Pordoi begins. The climb is visually stunning, and as we get closer to Pordoi, more snow appears. The most important thing is that the road is dry. At Pordoi, we take photos by the monuments of Fausto Coppi, Gilberto Simoni, and of course, the Passo Pordoi sign.
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The descent towards Canazei and then to Passo Sella is not the most pleasant due to the poor asphalt quality and many potholes, likely formed over the winter. Fortunately, the descent is short, and the climb to Passo Sella begins. On the right, you can stop for coffee at Rifugio Monti Pallidi, but we had agreed to stop for coffee at Passo Sella, which is this year's Cima Coppi of the 2024 Giro d'Italia - the highest point of the race (after the Stelvio pass was canceled due to avalanche risk);
The route is visually stunning, with mountain scenery accompanying us throughout the climb and the entire loop around the Sella group. There are many cyclists of various nationalities and lots of motorcyclists on the route. Despite an average gradient of 8%, the ride is excellent; today is the sunniest of the three days, which greatly adds to the joy of the ride. I reach the pass together with Born_2_Climb; Marcin has already been waiting for us for over 40 minutes - he's had his coffee and the obligatory strudel. We take many photos against the mountains and Giro banners (the race will pass through here in the opposite direction in a few days) and then head towards the next pass. The climb to Passo Gardena from this side is easier than from Corvara, with over a kilometer of flat terrain. We meet at the pass in Rifugio Frara for coffee and, of course, strudel, as on Sella we wanted to shorten Marcin's suffering (40 minutes waiting for us) and didn’t order coffee there to avoid delays.;
We descend the switchbacks to Corvara to start the last climb of the day. Due to fatigue from the previous climbs, Passo Campolongo is challenging, especially the first few kilometers of switchbacks with short sections of 11%. I climb alone at my own steady pace (we agreed to meet in Arabba by the car). With pain but great joy, I reach Passo Campolongo - only 4 kilometers remain, so I safely descend towards Arabba. We all have immense satisfaction from completing the Sella Ronda;
Only a safe 11-hour drive home remains; is it worth driving for several hours by car to ride a bike for three days over famous passes?
The answer can only be: YES, it's WORTH IT and I RECOMMEND IT;
Logistical Summary:
The ideal starting point is Arabba, but Corvara or Canazei are also good choices; the Sella Ronda can also be ridden in the opposite direction;
The entire route generally has good pavement; the worst is the descent from Pordoi, whereas the descent from Passo Sella has brand new asphalt (likely prepared for the Giro);
You can practically stop for coffee at every pass;