Report on the climb to Passo Campolongo from Arabba and Passo Valparola from La Villa:
This is our second day of a 3-day trip to Italy; the weather has improved, so today we decide on Passo Campolongo and Passo Valparola. Born_2_Climb already climbed Passo Valparola last year, and it's one of his favorite climbs (from the La Villa side), so today Marcin and I will test Valparola together;
At the pass, 5°C and light rain are expected, so we dress warmly. We are staying in Arabba, making it an ideal location to complete three loops without repeating any:
Sella Ronda, Fedaia and Pordoi, and today's mentioned Valparola via Campolongo. Riding these loops clockwise, we cross Pordoi and Campolongo twice but from different sides. The weather disrupted our plans, so we left the loop with Passo Fedaia for the future. Today, we tackle Passo Valparola;
Right from leaving the house, a 4-kilometer climb to Passo Campolongo begins. The climb is visually stunning and more attractive from the south side than from Corvara. Marcin, as usual, takes off in the first few meters - "...so we'll meet at Campolongo" - and sets off at his pace uphill. Born_2_Climb and I form a two-person grupetto, stopping several times for photos. At Passo Campolongo, we take the obligatory team photo and descend to Corvara. At this time, Corvara seems deserted, with a few walkers and a dozen road cyclists; most shops and eateries are closed. We speed on to La Villa, where we stop for coffee and delicious strudel at the "roundabout with flowers in 3 colors." This time of year, seeing the "Aperto" sign at the café is a delight;
Now for today's main attraction; a gentle 200-meter descent and ... Marcin disappears around the bends - we agreed to meet in the Armentarola parking lot. The first kilometers are calm with a few flat sections - the entire climb is uneven in gradient, but this makes it interesting and attractive, especially the views. At Armentarola, we set the meeting at Rifugio Passo Valparola (the pass is a kilometer further), so we have about 7 kilometers of the most interesting but also the most difficult section left. Marcin, as usual, takes off first and disappears around the bends, Born_2_Climb also leaves me, so I climb alone in the beautiful scenery of Parco Naturale Fanes-Sennes-Braies; the higher I go, the more snow around. The most important thing is that the very good asphalt surface is dry. We meet at the mentioned rifugio for coffee; to the pass, we ride on the big front ring as the gradient is slight on the final section. Obligatory photo - we dress warmly for the descent and head towards Passo Falzarego, which we pass without stopping. On the descent from Falzarego, road works are ongoing, making the asphalt condition terrible. The rest of the route to Arabba is pure poetry; on the left, a beautiful view of the Cordevole river valley. The terrain flattens out as we pass through the charming town of Livinallongo. The last kilometers to Arabba are a small, pleasant climb. The entire route is highly recommended;
Logistical summary:
The ideal starting point is Arabba, but Corvara is also a good choice, although in that case, Passo Campolongo remains to be crossed at the end; in my opinion, it's better to tackle Campolongo as a warm-up before Valparola;
The entire route has a good surface, with little car traffic and a lot of motorcycles (in May). The descent from Falzarego has poor surface condition for a few kilometers;
A good place for coffee before the climb is Ristorante L'Fana in La Villa and near the end of the climb Rifugio Passo Valparola - note: mapy.cz incorrectly shows that Passo Valparola is at this rifugio - it is a kilometer further;