Campolongo Pass
Campolongo pass is the first climb of the Maratona dles Dolomites. In fact, it is undoubtedly one of the lowest-lying climbs in the Dolomites and has some very special features. With about 1,875m at its summit, it is the best pass route if you want to learn how to ride around hairpins, boost your downhill riding skills and practice uphill.
The Campolongo pass is one of the magnificent mountain passes found in the Dolomites. The pass was open because of its importance to the people of the region of South Tyrol Italy.
When you approach the Campolongo pass from the Corvara side, it is the best way to get used to the climb, and it provides some interesting challenges. The straight stretches are not particularly steep, but the hairpins are. As a matter of fact, they are different from many Dolomites passes which have nearly flat hairpins and steep straights.
The road from Corvara to the Campolongo pass is on a very slowly moving landslide. It is re-paved every middle of the year around just before the Maratona dles Dolomites. It is always pleasant to ride on the pass during a whole summer season.
Almost all cyclists consider the Campolongo as perhaps as an Ugly Duckling when compared to all the other climbs around. It is one of the lowest climbs in the Dolomites. However, the Campolongo possesses some special and unique features that set it apart. It has proven to be the best pass for cyclists, especially those who want to learn how to ride hairpins and improve your downhill skills. More so, it is a good terrain to practice repetitions uphill.
The road itself is another special feature of the pass. While most Dolomite passes have flat or almost-flat hairpins where you can only have elevation on the straights, the first part of the Campolongo is not that way. The straights are not all that steep but the hairpins are!
Most of the time, it feels like the straights are steep as your legs are become weak after riding the hairpins out of the saddle in order to leave them behind… Anyway, running fast from hairpin to hairpin is great training.
The pass plays a great role during hiking as it is used as a starting point for both the eastern part of the rocky Sella and the green plains of the Chierz. This also provides long ring routes. Campolongo is touristically connected in the sense that it takes part in the conventional tour of the four passes, along with Pordoi, Sella, and Gardena.
Definitely, the Campolongo pass is worth testing, especially for lively excursions.
