Passo Giau, at 2,236 metres, is one of the great passes of the Dolomites, and many riders say it is the best. It links Cortina d'Ampezzo with Selva di Cadore and the Fiorentina valley, climbing through larch forests and high meadows to a broad, grassy saddle surrounded by spectacular peaks: the jagged tower of Ra Gusela, the Nuvolau, the Averau and, a little further, the famous Cinque Torri. To the south, the huge rock faces of Monte Pelmo and the Civetta rise above the valleys.
The climb from Selva di Cadore is the dramatic one, with about thirty hairpins on a narrow road with steep gradients, and it is a regular climb in the Giro d'Italia, so you will share it with cyclists, many of them suffering. The surface is generally good, but the bends are tight, and in summer it is busy with cars, motorcycles and cyclists. From the Cortina side, the road climbs through forests from Pocol, with gentler gradients and wider views. The pass is usually open in summer, but snow can close it from late autumn to spring, and afternoon thunderstorms are common.
The area has a long history. During the First World War, the front line between Italy and Austria-Hungary ran through these mountains, and the Cinque Torri and the surrounding peaks are dotted with trenches, tunnels and fortifications, some restored as an open-air museum. Much further back, at Mondeval, a high plateau above Selva di Cadore, archaeologists found the grave of a Mesolithic hunter, about eight thousand years old, buried with his tools; a small museum in Selva tells his story.
At the top of the pass there is a refuge with food and drink, and on a sunny day the terrace is packed with riders, cyclists and walkers enjoying the view. Selva di Cadore and Colle Santa Lucia are small, quiet villages with a few hotels and restaurants, and Cortina, about nine kilometres away as the crow flies but further by road, has every service.
Fuel is not available on the pass, so fill up in Cortina or in the larger valleys before you climb. Arrive early in the morning, when the light is soft and the road is quiet, and you will understand why this pass is so loved.