Passo Campolongo is another classic climb located in the Dolomites region of Italy, famed for appearing regularly on the Giro d’Italia. The climb is relatively short and is a great climb for beginner riders or riders looking for a gentle start to their cycling holiday. Despite its length being relatively short, the average gradient of the climb is quite tough – so do not under-estimate this climb!

When to ride Passo Campolongo

As with all climbs located in the Dolomites region of Italy, Passo Campolongo is best experienced in the summer months, between May and October. Due to the short nature of this climb, more experienced riders may wish to pair this ride with the nearby Passo Pordoi – a longer and more challenging climb. Passo Campolongo is best combined with other climbs in the Dolomites, allowing you to warm-up and get in to the swing of things. Be aware that the beginning of the route in Corvara can be very busy with tourists, but once you leave this area the road soon quietens down.

Riding Passo Campolongo

One of the relatively strange intricacies of the Passo Campolongo is that mixed in with its short distance, the layout of the climb is different from many other famous climbs as well. Whereas seasoned riders may be used to flat hairpins and steep straights, the Passo Campolongo are in many senses the wrong way round.

After leaving Corvara, you travel for a kilometre before the last of the buildings passes by and the official beginning of the climb gets underway. Once the ride has gotten underway, the following two kilometres are where you will experience most of the hairpins in the entire route. As previously mentioned, the hairpins on Passo Campolongo are where the steepest of gradients are so it is important to be aware of the difficulty of this part of the route. Following two kilometres of hairpins, the road straightens out and settles down and the views begin to become typical of the Dolomites – with stunning scenery and tree-lined roads.

Following the two final hairpins towards the end of this short route, the last kilometre is fairly flat. If you need refreshment, there is a hotel and bar located near to the summit peak that is a good opportunity to take some food and drink on board before the descent down towards the finish or on to another climb…