Radroute Bormio - Santa Caterina - Passo Gavia

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From Bormio (Alta Valtellina) Bike Hotel La Genzianella to the Gavia Pass (cima Coppi).

This ancient roadway that connected Bormio with the "Venices" has become a must in the cycling word.

The 1988 Giro d'Italia, under heavy snowfall, consacrated this as an epic climb.

The Gavia Pass is opened from June to September.

Departing from Bormio, the uphill starts in Santa Caterina Valfurva (the other side stardts from Ponte di Legno -BS-).

The side facing the Valtellina is less steep than the other one,

even if it is a longer way up to the pass.

The road is mostly constantly uphill, with some short but very steep stretches.

Starting in Bormio, take the road SS 300 which leads through the Valfurva:

you pass by its little villages Uzza, San Nicolò, S.Antonio and San Gottardo and will arrive,

after 13 km and 600 metres in altitude, to Santa Caterina.

After Santa Caterina the "real" road up to the Gaviapass begins with its first switchback.

From here one, the gradient is most of the time at about over 7%, it reaches, however,

quite often the 10 % mark for short stretches.

The tight road brings you constantly higher in altitude.

Before the top of the Gavia you will cross a bridge over the "Rezzalasco",

then you arrive at the alpine lodge "Berni" on a level of 2545 m,

where a war memorial reminds us of the First World War.

The road gets a little less steep now and after a couple of kilometres you reach the Gavia Pass.

The Gavia Pass connects the provinces of Sondrio and Brescia,

and is one of the highest and even most beautiful passes of the Alps.

(Thanks to our friends Carrie and her husband Tobias from www.granfondocyclingtours.com

for the accurate tour description.)