Bormio onwards

Spud

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To get from Bormio towards the Dolomites which would you say,
Stelvio then drop down towards them or Gavia pass and in that way ?
Heard different things about Stelvio, and not sure if I should include in the trip or not !!
 
:blast
Heard different things about Stelvio, and not sure if I should include in the trip or not !!

What, and you think you will get a single consistent answer to this question :blast

Some will say the Stelvio is iconic and a "Must Ride" road, and others will say it is not so great but should be on your bucket list - I guess it is not on yours as you are happy to skip it entirely.

Based on that assumption I would take the Gavia for a couple of reason, firstly it is a beautiful stretch of road, not a scratchers paradise, but a wonderful ride through great scenery and typically devoid of traffic. Secondly it means you will not have the slog up the congested valley road to the even more congested Merano...

...instead you then take the (IMO) rather under-rated Passo di Tonale - if you ignore the typically ugly Ski Resort at the top - but this gives a handy place to stop for morning Coffee and it is worth checking out the Morgue / monument thingy up there. And a bit further on you will come across an old WW1 fort that is also worth a quick stop and a couple of pictures.

I have used both routes (The Gavia one this year from Dolomites to Livigno) and would not bother to take the Stelvio route ever again, but I have also been up the Stelvio before and therefore do not have to tick it off my list which makes the choice easier....

...What you could consider is running from Bormio up to the top of the Stelvio 1st thing in the morning, grab your Sticker / T-Shirt and then run back down again, especially if the weather is on your side, it is only about 20 minutes from Bormio to the top, so will add about an hour taking into account a few pictures and souvenir purchase - and you can come home with your own opinion of (half of) the Stelvio (And IMO the best bit is really the views from the top anyway)
 
The Stelvio is a great road if you get there early in the morning, or late afternoon. We made the mistake last July of going mid morning and entered a precession of bikes, cars, cyclists, roller bladers and Bin Wagons! It wasn't much fun to be honest, and wont be doing it again in a hurry.
 
:blast

What, and you think you will get a single consistent answer to this question :blast

Some will say the Stelvio is iconic and a "Must Ride" road, and others will say it is not so great but should be on your bucket list - I guess it is not on yours as you are happy to skip it entirely.

Based on that assumption I would take the Gavia for a couple of reason, firstly it is a beautiful stretch of road, not a scratchers paradise, but a wonderful ride through great scenery and typically devoid of traffic. Secondly it means you will not have the slog up the congested valley road to the even more congested Merano...

...instead you then take the (IMO) rather under-rated Passo di Tonale - if you ignore the typically ugly Ski Resort at the top - but this gives a handy place to stop for morning Coffee and it is worth checking out the Morgue / monument thingy up there. And a bit further on you will come across an old WW1 fort that is also worth a quick stop and a couple of pictures.

I have used both routes (The Gavia one this year from Dolomites to Livigno) and would not bother to take the Stelvio route ever again, but I have also been up the Stelvio before and therefore do not have to tick it off my list which makes the choice easier....

...What you could consider is running from Bormio up to the top of the Stelvio 1st thing in the morning, grab your Sticker / T-Shirt and then run back down again, especially if the weather is on your side, it is only about 20 minutes from Bormio to the top, so will add about an hour taking into account a few pictures and souvenir purchase - and you can come home with your own opinion of (half of) the Stelvio (And IMO the best bit is really the views from the top anyway)

Thanks, great advice, I'll see what the weather brings in the morning.
May well go up and come back down again, but not if there's thunderstorms as in the forecast !!
Thanks again for all the replies
 
We did the Gavia Pass many years back before it was paved(tarmacked). I think that at that time it was one of the last passes in the Dolomites to be paved.

We were going from The Ring to Bormio with Hans Heinz Dilthey the chief instructor from our course at the Ring. He was on a GS and managed to punch a hole in his sump going over the Gavia. Ironic because we were on sports tourers.
 
If you haven't done the Stelvio, I think it's a must do, but at stated, the traffic after that towards Merano/Bolzano is a nightmare. We also came from Cortina to Livigno this year via the Gavia for the first time, and it is an amazing road, almost frightening at times but again the traffic on the main road West, although not anything like the Merano road, was still a pain.

The last part of rasher's post is exactly what I would suggest.
 
Stelvio is great if you get up and in it early enough was there 2 weeks ago and hit it early and it was empty, came back over the Umbrail at around 10AM and the Stelvio was rammed.

We came over from Trafoi, then ducked down the umbrail and back and then nipped back to the top of the Stelvio as the shops had just open s for tourisit tat and stickers. Then dropped back down the bormio side and picked up the Garvia, which as was said above is bordering on scary at times, but still a fantastic road to ride.

Rashers advice is bob on though, coming up from the Bormio side, look out for the photographer after the waterfall for a cheeky Stelvio pic.

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The Stelvio is good and I personally think it's best going up from Bormio,

The road up is more open with a lovely flatish stretch in the middle

Then you can do the flick flacks everybody photographs going downhill, which is nicer than coming up them and you won't drop your bike

There's a good biker oriented hotel restaurant in Trafoi just at the end of the pass
 
Yea, and don't do it on a Sunday when there is a cycling time trial bottom to top on the East side :blast:blast:blast
 
Stelvio is spectacular and a challenge, but I've never found it fun. Don't suppose this chap did either, but if you're going to drop it, do it in front of Foto-Stelvio.com...

New mirror please.
 

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The Stelvio is good and I personally think it's best going up from Bormio,

The road up is more open with a lovely flatish stretch in the middle

Then you can do the flick flacks everybody photographs going downhill, which is nicer than coming up them and you won't drop your bike

There's a good biker oriented hotel restaurant in Trafoi just at the end of the pass

Berghotel Franzenshöhe? It's a cracking little hotel, it's where we stayed last week, got to agree that coming up from Bormio is better.
 
Berghotel Franzenshöhe? It's a cracking little hotel, it's where we stayed last week, got to agree that coming up from Bormio is better.

No, I meant the Tannenheim nature and style hotel, very modern with a few bikes displayed in the lobby, we ate there

We actually stayed in the Hotel Madatsch which was very nice too with modern rooms and we had a superb view from our room up the glacier
 
Bormio to the Dolomites? I'd go over Gavia which is a challenging pass in places (narrow, often bumpy) but it's also beautiful and rewarding.

I wouldn't go over Stelvio to get to the dolomites, as the road from Prato to Merano is DULL, unless I'd already done Gavia to reach Bormio… (or indeed had got to Bormio without doing Stelvio).

The question is, really why go to Bormio if you're not going to ride Stelvio? Yes, yes, divisive, difficult, not everyone's cup of tea… But how do you know it's not your cup of tea without riding it? And it must be said that even if you do turn out to be one of those (wrong-headed) people who don't like Stelvio, if you don't like that one you're highly unlikely to like Gavia (narrow, bumpy, etc). Especially setting off from Bormio, you can hit the road early while it's quiet and have a great ride. Even the Merano road is likely to be pretty quiet (and so not so dull) if you get an early start.
 
Especially setting off from Bormio, you can hit the road early while it's quiet and have a great ride. Even the Merano road is likely to be pretty quiet (and so not so dull) if you get an early start.

I think it will still be dull, just a bit quicker and less frustrating, IIRC it is pretty much a dead straight road along a valley floor with lots of built up areas.

I don't think anyone capable of getting all the way to the region should struggle with the Gavia, my Mrs has only been riding for 4 years and had no problems, although she is not keen on really tight hairpins and has a dislike of bumpy roads, but it was one of her favourites back when she was pillion.

Once over the Gavia you still have the Tonale to enjoy and the only crap bit is around Bolzano (which you also have to deal with if coming the other way) but you will have dodged Merano which is a real PITA to go through (or at least it was when we went through a few years back)

As for leaving early, the photo reminded me we got snapped so I went looking for our pics, quite telling is the numbers of pictures captured by the photo-man, and these are worse than they appear as when it is quiet he might take 5-10 pictures of each bike that passes, as it gets busier he can only take 1-2 for each bike.

8:30 - 9:00 - 76 Pics
9:00 - 9:30 - 153 pics
9:30 - 10:00 - 488 Pics

It peaked at 12:30 - 13:00 at 1050 pictures, the last two occasions we have been to the top of the Stelvio we where there before 9:30 and it was most pleasant, the other time was quite late in the day having decided to whizz up after reaching our Hotel in Livigno so we were heading up @4:00pm,just as most of the traffic was coming back down, after coffee and strudel at the top we did not come back down until about 5:00pm by which time traffic was very light heading down again.

I think I have been lucky to ride the Stelvio 3 times with good weather and light traffic on each occasion
 
I agree, if you can get that far, you'll manage the Gavia, but.....it's possibly one of the most difficult passes in the whole of the Alps in my opinion, or at least the ones I've done and that's been plenty.
 
I agree, if you can get that far, you'll manage the Gavia, but.....it's possibly one of the most difficult passes in the whole of the Alps in my opinion, or at least the ones I've done and that's been plenty.

The Splugen is worse (But even more stunning) the Sampeyre is possibly more challenging and the Col Des Champs is like a Motocross track on the West ramp, ridden a fair few others worse than the Gavia over the years - normally by accident :blast

I would not really call it difficult, just narrow and bumpy in places, but much of it is also fairly flat and easy, I think it is also easier starting at the Bormio end as the worst of the tight bumpy bits are at the bottom (southern) end and IMO it is easier to go down these as it is easier to see if anything is coming towards you and less aggro having to do a hill start facing down hill.

Anyone who can negotiate the cones on the part 1 test should be able to manage the worst the Gavia has to throw at them.

And in fairness the Eastern ramp of the Stelvio is probably worse for tight / of camber hairpins and made worse by the vast array of cars, motorcycles, busses and trucks coming towards you - you don't get many busses on the Gavia :thumb

Check it out on Street View - the worse bit is the tight twisty bit at the southern end just North of Pezzo.
 
The Passo di Crocedomini can be a bit of a challenge to in and around that area. I found out the hard way, dirt section on a K1600 :)
 
I would go to the dolomites via Galvia cos its a stunning amd less trafic way east.
uld also go up and over the Stelvio then get to near the boring bits and then turn back and do it back tuther way. Seems a shame to go all that way and not do one or the other. Do um both, and while yer at it do the same with the less used but lovely Umbrail down to CH and back.
My tip with all hairpins is stay on the outside line (if possible) and look well in front to allow for trafic. Have a great trip :thumby:
 
Bormio onwards.

Bormio backwards, is Oimrob.

Which sounds rather like a somewhat slow country yokel bikermate, named Robert, introducing himself.
 


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