Mortirolo - Gavia
Some mountain passes are famous for their beauty. Others are famous because they are incredibly hard. And then there are days when you get to ride two of these kind of legendary climbs in one route. That was exactly the plan for this ride: start in Bormio, climb the famous Mortirolo and then tackle the Gavia before descending back to Bormio.
Full Mortirolo - Gavia route
The Route: Bormio, Mortirolo and Gavia
Start and finish: Bormio, Italy
Distance: 122 km
Elevation gain: 3,100 m
Climbs: Passo del Mortirolo and Passo di Gavia
Route: Bormio → Mazzo di Valtellina → Mortirolo → Temù → Ponte di Legno → Gavia → Bormio
This is a serious mountain ride. The distance is already quite long, but the real challenge is the amount of climbing, especially when one of those climbs is the Mortirolo. And there is something important about this route that you don't immediately see when looking at the elevation profile. The difficult part isn't just the two famous climbs. It's everything in between as well.
An Early Start from Bormio
I started at 6:30 in the morning. The reason was that I wanted to climb the Mortirolo before it became too hot. I knew it was going to be a hard climb, and riding those steep gradients in the middle of a hot summer day didn't sound like a good idea. The first part of the route was actually quite easy. From Bormio, we rolled downhill towards Mazzo di Valtellina, where the Mortirolo climb begins.
But don't forget to bring a jacket for this part. Early in the morning, the sun hasn't reached the valley yet, and when you're descending for a long time, it can feel pretty cold. After about 30 kilometres, we arrived in Mazzo di Valtellina. Before starting the climb, we stopped at a local bakery for a coffee and some pastries.
Sitting there, I was feeling a little nervous. I had heard so many stories about the Mortirolo. How steep and hard this climb is.
Gradient Mortirolo climb
Mortirolo — Straight Into the Steep Gradients
The Mortirolo was already incredibly steep from the beginning, with gradients around 14%. Even when you're riding slowly, you still have to push a lot of power just to keep moving. Luckily, I'm really fit this year. I knew I had the power to get up the mountain, and with the right gearing, the steep gradients were manageable.
But manageable doesn't mean easy. Even at a slow pace, I was constantly pushing around 250 to 300 watts. It was a grind from the beginning.
At some point, the gradient gets close to 18%. That's when it really gets difficult. I was lucky with the weather and It wasn't too hot yet, which made a big difference on those steep sections. I was very happy I decided to start early.
Fortunately, the final kilometres become a little less steep. After all that grinding, it felt good to finally ride on gradients that were a bit more friendly. Because I'd taken the climb slowly and hadn't pushed myself to the limit, I actually reached the summit feeling pretty good. Of course, it had been hard. But I was happy with how I'd managed my effort. I stopped at the top to take a picture before continuing. At that moment, I thought the hardest part of the day might already be behind us. But the kilometres between Mortirolo and Gavia turned out to be a challenge of their own.
After descending Mortirolo, I reached the valley and started making our way towards the Gavia. I was hoping to ride a little faster here. But there was a lot of wind and the road kept gradually going uphill. So instead of getting some easy kilometres between the two big climbs, I still had to push quite hard. By now, the temperature was also rising.
Before starting Gavia, I stopped in Temù for a lunch at the bakery. This time I got some muffins and a Coca Cola before starting withe Gavia.
Gradient Gavia climb
Gavia — A Completely Different Climb
The Gavia starts very differently from Mortirolo. From Ponte di Legno, the first part follows a busier road. It was hot. But the gradients, however, were much more friendly. At around 5%, it almost felt easy compared with what I just did on the Mortirolo.
But the thing about Gavia is that the official start of the climb doesn't really tell the full story when you're riding this loop. I had already been going uphill for a long time before reaching Ponte di Legno. From the bottom of the Mortirolo descent, it had felt like one long effort towards the top of Gavia. That makes the climb mentally and physically harder than it might look on paper.
When you enter the forest, the road becomes much smaller, and the shade is a welcome relief from the sun. After riding in the heat, it felt really nice to be out of the direct sunlight. But the gradients also started getting steeper again. So while the Gavia didn't have the same brutal reputation as Mortirolo, it was certainly not an easy climb. Especially not with all those kilometres already in the legs.
Then, at some point, you come out of the forest. And everything changes. Suddenly you're in a much more open landscape, with incredible views of the mountains around you. You can look far ahead and see the road making its way through the mountain scenery. This is where the Gavia really becomes special.The views are absolutely spectacular.
The road was also not very crowded that day, which made the experience even better. There was something really peaceful about riding through those huge mountains on a relatively quiet road. After the steep and demanding Mortirolo, Gavia felt like a completely different kind of adventure. It was still hard. But it was also incredibly beautiful.
The final part of the climb wasn't easy. You definitely start feeling the altitude and the effort in your legs. But the scenery just keeps getting better. The mountains, the open landscape and the quiet road made the final kilometres really special. And then, finally, I reached the top of Passo di Gavia. I realised something that I'd started the day thinking mostly about Mortirolo. But Gavia was the climb that impressed me the most.
My Tips for Riding Mortirolo and Gavia in One Day
Start earlyBring an extra jacketMake sure you have the right gearingDon't go all out on MortiroloDon't underestimate the road between the climbs
Lake on top of the Gavia climb
