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Heavy fog greeted us this morning but by the time we finished breakfast, the fog was burning off and another beautiful riding day began…a slightly cooler with temperature topping out at 29C.

The Sella Ronda is a magnificent section of the Dolomites mountains. The mountains surround us from all sides on this route, very unique appearance, the jagged peaks appear like giant teeth.
Every July, tens of thousands of cyclists ride this loop as part of the GranFondo Maratona, starting in Corvara.

On the heels of a 9,000 ft climb yesterday, today was a loop. It is comprised of 4 major passes/climbs; Campolongo, Gardena, Sella and Pordoi. Our loop was 67 km long with 6,542 ft of climbing. No tunnels today after traversing 19 yesterday!

First summit, Campolongo

Roads were smooth for the most part except for the descent from Sella, which was rough and uneven, we also had a kilometre of gravel on the ascent and of Gardena due to construction. And as it was Sunday, the roads were busy with lots of cyclists, motorcycles and cars, even a Ferrari rally! Not just cyclists flock to this iconic area(a regular feature of most Giro d’Italias), motorists escape the cities for the spectacular views. This are is known for its many ski resorts in winter, hiking and mountain biking.

Second peak, Gardena…

3rd peak, Sella, where Bruce, Jim and I had a well earned cappuccino and croissant!

And from ally the 4th peak, Pordoi…

 

Just a spectacular yet challenging day! I was fortunate to climb the awesome Dades Gorge in Morocco on my birthday and want a great day to celebrate Father’s Day ( although being around family is pretty special too!)….photos don’t really capture the beauty or closeness of these mountains.

We spend our second night at the Cesa Padon hotel in Plieve.