Falzarego is a pass that rewards the effort of the Dolomites, a bare grey saddle at 2,105 metres between Cortina d'Ampezzo and the high valleys of the Cordevole, ringed by pale, ruined-looking peaks that glow pink at sunset. The mountains here are sheer, jagged and strangely close, with the great cliffs of Lagazuoi and the Tofane on one side and the stacked towers of the Cinque Torri on the other. There is almost no vegetation at the top, only rock, scree and a few huts, and the sky feels very large.
The pass has a grim history. During the First World War, the front line between the Austrian and Italian armies ran straight through these mountains, and soldiers fought for years in tunnels, trenches and galleries blasted into the rock, with many dying from avalanches and cold as well as bullets. The tunnels on Lagazuoi, where each side dug mines under the other, can still be visited, and a cable car runs from the pass to the summit. The road itself was built by the Austrians for military use, and the old fortifications are scattered around the slopes.
The ride up from Cortina is a classic of the Dolomites, with a series of hairpins and long, open bends climbing through larch forest to the bare upper slopes, and then a sweeping descent on the other side toward Arabba and the Marmolada glacier. The surface is generally good, with smooth tarmac, but the road is busy in summer, with cyclists, cars, campers and other motorcyclists, so overtaking needs care. Early morning gives the best light and the emptiest road, and afternoon thunderstorms can build quickly in July and August.
The pass is open from about late spring until the first heavy snow, usually in October, and may close temporarily after storms. It is cold at this altitude even in summer, so keep a warm layer to hand, and give yourself time to walk around a bit, for the views alone.