Cycling the Passo di Gavia, Italian Alps

The phenomenal beauty of this ride was our overriding takeaway.

Once you’re above the tree line, the sensational scenery makes you feel on top of the world. The narrow roads and quiet serenity make it hard not to love cycling the Gavia Pass, despite the pain its gradients put you through!

Dramatic scenery after the tunnel

Putting things into perspective; you’re dwarfed by the mountains around you

Summit of the Gavia Pass

The Gavia climb begins just north of Ponte di Legno, where the road crosses the Torrente Frigidolfo. Though there’s the odd steeper section, the first five kilometers offer a bit of a warm up for what’s to come; the 6% average gradient will soon seem pretty chilled.

You already start to get some views too; the snow-capped peaks in the distance give a sneak preview.

After the hamlet of Pietra Rossa, you may notice signposts that indicate that the real climbing is about to begin!

The next 6km of switchbacks are on a very narrow road that winds up through the forest. You’ll see the average gradient for this section rise to around 8.5%, with maximums in the teens.

One signpost shows a worrying 16% gradient!

Near the bottom of the climb, just after Precasaglio

A steep, narrow road takes you through woodland

Narrow wooded road climbing Passo Gavia

After the turns, you start a four-kilometre traverse around the mountainside.

You rise above the tree line on a road that’s extremely narrow, so that two cars aren’t able to pass each other.

It feels as if the gradients relax a bit. Certainly now you’re above the trees, the views over the gorge below and mountains all around are spectacular. You can see a long way up the valley, though at this point you can’t see the summit.

One point to note is that it’s quite exposed on this traverse and you’re at significant altitude. There’s no hiding from the weather should the rain roll in – bring enough clothes!

At the end of the traverse, ready yourself for the dreaded tunnel.  It’s 0.5km long and the road climbs up through it. It’s dark. You’ll need your lights and some reflective clothing is sensible too.

Note: we’ve heard people mention that there’s an old cliff road you can ride instead of the tunnel. The road is closed to cars and we understand it has a rough, gravel surface. We haven’t done it so can’t confirm.

The mid section of the climb traverses around the mountain summit above you

Incredible views on this narrow road to the Passo Gavia summit

Working hard, just before the tunnel

After leaving the tunnel you can see the last two+ kilometres with the road stretching to hairpins ahead. The gradients sit at a stubborn 8-10% and we found the road surface tricky. The upside is the unbelievable views of 3,500+m giants surrounding you.

After the hairpins, the road eventually curves around and you see the Rifugio Bonetta at the summit. It’s a welcome sight!

Nearing the summit of the Passo Gavia

Approaching the summit

Passo Gavia summit sign

At the top of the Pass is the Rifugio Bonetta. It was built in 1959 and has 37 rooms, a bar and walls decorated with snowy Giro photos.

We spotted a water fountain at around the 4km mark. There’s also a signpost to Ristoro Bar Caione at around 12km.

Otherwise you’d need refuel in Ponte di Legno or on the way back to Bormio in Santa Caterina di Valfurva.

Rifugio Bonetta at the Passo Gavia summit

Summit sign at the Passo Gavia

A popular summit sign!

We rode from Bormio. You can find details of where we stayed and other bike-friendly hotel options in our article on the best bike hotels in Bormio.

Read our tips for cycling in the Italian Alps before you set out. The “when to go” section of our ultimate guide to the Stelvio region for cyclists talks about the best time of year to visit: in short, June/July/August/September.

Remember that snow is possible at any time of year and it’s rarely warm at the top of the Gavia Pass. Bring enough clothes for the descent, together with lights for the tunnel.

It’s a good idea to check the weather before you set out – the meteo Passo Gavia and  Passo Gavia webcam should help.

If you’re keen on Granfondos, check out the Granfondo Gavia Mortirolo which takes place in June every year.

It’s also worth checking whether they’re holding a “Gavia Pass bike day”: in 2018 the Gavia Pass was closed to motorised traffic on 6 and 29th July and 2 September.

This climb is full of Giro d’Italia cycling history:

• People often seem to think the Passo del Gavia is in the Dolomites. It’s not, it’s in the Italian Alps, Lombardy!

Just north of the Passo Gavia is a monument commemorating the Battle of San Matteo during World War 1.

There are two beautiful lakes very close to both sides of the summit, Lago Nero and Lago Bianco.

Have you ridden Passo Gavia?

We’d love to hear from you – comment below or drop us a line.

Don’t miss our other ride guides on this region: see the related rides section above and our guides to the Mortirolo and Mortirolo and Gavia loop guide. Also our guides to Stelvio (from Bormio), Stelvio (from Prato), Umbrail Pass loop, Bernina Pass loop and Cancano Lakes.

Check out our ultimate guide to cycling the Stelvio region and other articles, below.

Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels - and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they're there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.