The Pordoi Pass is the highest on the Sella Ronda, at 2,239 metres, and the road from Arabba climbs it in thirty-three hairpins that are among the most photographed in the Alps. The road is wide, the surface is generally excellent and the bends are well graded, so it is one of the most enjoyable climbs in the Dolomites, a place where you can find a rhythm and let the bike dance. At the top you come out beneath the vertical cliffs of the Sella, with the Marmolada glacier shining to the south-east.
The summit is a small, busy world, with a few hotels, a souvenir shop or two, a row of motorbikes and a cable car that rises to nearly three thousand metres on the Sass Pordoi, the summit plateau of the Sella. On clear days the views from the top are staggering, stretching over hundreds of peaks. Just below the pass, a large German war cemetery, built in the 1950s, holds the remains of thousands of soldiers from the two world wars, and the low stone building, set among the rocks, is a quiet, moving place that is worth a visit.
The pass was crossed by traders and pilgrims for centuries, and the modern road dates from the late nineteenth century, when the Dolomites became a destination for early tourists. It was a stage in the Giro d'Italia many times, and cyclists, especially in summer, fill the road, so you should expect to share it and take care when overtaking. In summer weekends the traffic can be heavy, with many motorbikes, and a start at dawn will give you a very different experience.
Fuel is the thing to note. There is none on the pass itself, and the nearest stations are in Canazei, about three and a half kilometres away on the south side, and in Corvara and Cortina, so make sure you have enough. Mountain huts serve coffee, strudel and polenta with cheese, and a stop for something warm is worth it. The pass is generally open from late May to October, and the weather can bring rain, cold wind or snow, even in summer. The light at dawn and dusk, when the Sella glows orange and pink, is something you remember.