The Mountain Diaries Day 2: August 17th

We were expecting light rain for much of the day so, although overcast, it was definitely a bonus that it was at least dry, and a double bonus since we had two of the hardest climbs on the route schedule, the fearsome Mortirolo followed by the Gavia. Ever since the 1988 Giro d’ Italia the Gavia has had its place clearly marked in epic climb history. Who can forget the extreme conditions that riders faced that day? Total insanity. Just surviving was a result.

Don’t make the mistake of picking up the SS38 out of Bormio, look for the S27 which is a much nicer road to Mazzo, the village where the Mortirolo starts from its ‘classic’ side.

Straight from the word go it’s got ‘killer’ scribed all over it. Although only 12.4km in duration its relentless gradient and narrow twisting road really does offer very, very little respite. I’ll tell you now, it’s impossible to try and explain just how amazing this climb is. With pitches over 18% it’s no wonder Lance Armstrong regarded this as the hardest climb he has ever done. Granted, it’s very tough to ride it but just imagine when the big guns start to fire and the attacks start heading up the road. Crazy!

You really need to ride it to believe it, the road is so narrow and natural, unspoilt by commercialism, just carving its way beautifully to the summit. You would never assume that as you pass through Mazzo that such a beast lies just meters away.

With around 4km’s to the summit you hit a left hand hairpin and your concentration will be taken from the road as you pass the corner dedicated to the late Marco Pantani. Seeing this will give you the motivation to dig that little bit deeper. Shortly after this the roads becomes more exposed and rider’s names appear in graffiti as you approach the summit at 1,852m.

At the top we followed the ridge line towards Trivingo, as per the Granfondo Marco Pantani route. A truly beautiful road to the descent of the Santa Cristina and on to Aprica. Here we swung left in the direction of the Gavia. The clouds were thick and dark ahead and it looked like it could be show time with a big storm upon us. Fortunately from the rain on the crash barriers it looked like we’d just missed the downpour and as it turned out we only got caught in a short shower.

The Passo Gavia, the sheer name rings fear in the minds and bodies of pro’s and amateurs alike. Riding from Ponte di Legno it’s 17.4km in length with an average gradient of 7.9%. Don’t be fooled, with sections up to 18% gradient there’s no hiding on this mountain.

According to the profile it has a gentle start. I was expecting an easier few kilometers to get back into a rhythm but it really didn’t happen like that. The scenery looking down into the valley below and the aggressive mountain landscape is truly stunning. For me, the climb gave a sense of well being. It’s quiet, the road is narrow, and I really felt that it couldn’t get any better than this. Every breath felt like I was inhaling life itself deep inside. We were alone, just climbing a mountain, so pure, so simple, so natural. The sense of satisfaction ascending the slopes of the Gavia are overwhelming. I will never
be able to do it justice in words; emotions just can’t be put into context
sometimes.

No matter how good you feel, no matter how fast you climb to the summit you have to remember that ultimately nature and the mountains are a far stronger force than you can ever realise. If you make an ascent in one hour it will always say “is that all you’ve got, why didn’t you do it in 50 minutes?” When you do that it’s the same again. “Why not 45 minutes”. You will never beat the mountains, only yourself, but it’s that bettering of ones self that lives with you forever in the mind and in the body you will continue to become stronger.

It was cold at the top. At 2,652m in altitude and with the conditions as they were there was no time to hang about. We’d packed a mountain ‘survival’ kit just in case it turned bad. This consisted of a butchered metallic sheet (the type you get when finishing a marathon) strategically cut and taped to form a gillet (thanks mum for taking the time to sellotape the edges, a real life saver!) Instant wind blocker and perfect to radiate what little body heat you may have back into you. Coupled up with a beanie, gloves, buff and leg warmers we were set to let gravity take its course.

The descent to Bormio is exhilarating, the road quickly narrows and is technical, twisting through trees and around hairpins, it’s certainly one of the most fun descents I’ve ever done. So satisfying after climbing to the summit is the reward of a great descent. An amazing experience. An amazing day.

But, that amazing day wasn't quite over yet! Our hotel was 4km above Bormio at over 1,600m elevation. We needed some supplies for breakfast the following day so stopped to get the essentials with the plan of taking the cable car up to Bormio 2000 and then descending back to our hotel. Such a genius plan I must say. Bread, milk, cereals, fruit...we were loaded up coming out of the store only to find that the cable cars had stopped running for the day (it was nearly dark after all). So the day really finished with a 4km climb, cereal shoved strategically under jersey, milk in back pocket and everything else, well, wherever it would stay without causing serious injury. Tell you what, it doesn't half play havoc with your power to weight ratio on the climbs lugging all that up to the hotel! Oh, great days!

Day 2 col count: 2 - Passo Mortirolo & Passo Gavia

Cumulative col count: 4