Sella Ronda: the 4 Dolomite Passes

The Sella Ronda is the holy grail of motorcycling in the Dolomites: a circuit of approximately 55 km linking four mountain passes — Passo Gardena (2,121 m), Passo Sella (2,240 m), Passo Pordoi (2,239 m) and Passo Campolongo (1,875 m) — around the imposing Sella massif, a natural fortress of Dolomite rock that rises vertically to the 3,152-metre peak of Piz Boe. The circuit can be cycled either clockwise or anti-clockwise, and both directions offer completely different perspectives of the landscape: the dolomite spires, towers and vertical walls surrounding the massif change colour with the light (from white to pink to orange to red), creating a geological and visual spectacle that has no equivalent anywhere else in the world.

Dolomite, the rock that gives its name to the entire mountain range, is a calcium and magnesium carbonate that formed some 250 million years ago as coral reefs in a shallow tropical sea. Alpine tectonics raised these fossilised reefs to altitudes of 3,000 metres, and erosion has sculpted the characteristic vertical formations: towers, spires, vertical cliffs and plateaus that resemble medieval fortresses built by giants. The phenomenon of ‘enrosadira’ – the reddening of the dolomite cliffs at dawn and dusk – is one of the most beautiful natural spectacles in the whole of Europe.

Each of the four mountain passes has its own character. The Passo Sella (2,240 m) is the most visually spectacular, with the towers of Sassolungo dominating the horizon. Passo Pordoi (2,239 m) is the widest, with a huge car park at the summit and a cable car that goes up to Sass Pordoi (the ‘terrace of the Dolomites’). The Passo Gardena (2,121 m) is the most technically demanding to drive, with tight bends and steep gradients. The Passo Campolongo (1,875 m) is the gentlest and least impressive, but it provides a necessary conclusion to the circuit.

The cuisine of the Sella region is a unique fusion of Tyrolean, Ladin and Italian cooking. The rifugi (mountain huts) dotted around the mountain passes serve canederli (Tyrolean knödel made with bread, speck and cheese), apple strudel, polenta with venison goulash, South Tyrolean speck (smoked cured ham) and kaiserschmarren (shredded pancakes with plum compote). At every mountain pass there is at least one rifugio or restaurant where you can stop, and the tradition of eating well in the mountains is sacred in this part of the Alps.

Motorcycling tip: the Sella Ronda is open from June to October. In July and August, traffic is extremely heavy (it’s the most popular route in the Dolomites), with queues on the mountain passes and full car parks. The best strategy is to set off at 7.00 am from Corvara (anti-clockwise) or from Canazei (clockwise) and complete the circuit before 11.00 am, when the coaches arrive. The nearest petrol stations are in Corvara, Arabba and Canazei. Watch out for cyclists: the Sella Ronda is also a very popular cycle route, and you must give way to them on bends.