The Sella Pass is the one the Dolomites are famous for, even if the locals would argue that every pass here is. At 2,244 metres, it connects the Val Gardena with the Val di Fassa, running between the sheer grey towers of the Sassolungo, or Langkofel, on one side and the great fortress mass of the Sella group on the other. The rock is dolomite, a pale limestone that glows pink and orange at sunset, an effect the Ladin people call enrosadira, and the setting is the sort of place where cyclists weep and motorcyclists forget to ride.
The road up from the Fassa side begins at Canazei, about four kilometres away, and climbs in a series of long, graceful bends, with meadows and pine forest giving way to bare scree and rock. On the way down toward Val Gardena, hairpins tighten and the surface is generally excellent. The gradient is steady, the corners are readable, and the traffic, especially on summer weekends, is heavy with cars, campervans, cyclists, and other bikes. Early morning is the quiet time, and the light on the rock is superb.
Culture here is a mix of three worlds. This is Ladin country, where a Romance language older than Italian is still spoken in the valleys, and the region has swung between Austria and Italy over the last century. The First World War front passed through the Dolomites, and traces of it survive in tunnels, trenches, and fortifications all over the mountains. The pass is also the start and finish of the Sellaronda, the loop around the Sella massif that skiers ride in winter and cyclists and motorcyclists tackle in summer.
Fuel is best in the valley towns. Canazei and Campitello have stations and shops, and Selva in Val Gardena on the other side has more, though prices are higher than in the lowlands. At the pass itself, there are refuges and cafes serving coffee, strudel, and hearty mountain food, and they make a welcome stop. Snow can close the road in winter and in late spring, and thunderstorms can build over the peaks in summer afternoons. Bring warm gloves, because even in August the wind at the top is cold.