Passo di Costalunga from Bolzano
Distance: 22.17 km
Elevation Gain: 1200 m
Elevation Loss: 15 m
Difficulty:
845 (Hard)
FIETS Index: 6.55 FIETS
Avg Grade: 5.49 %
Max cat climb: HC
Min elevation: 561 m
Max elevation: 1753 m
Ride Category:
Epic Climb
The Passo di Costalunga, the Karerpass in German, is the first climb of the Great Dolomite Road from Bolzano to Cortina, on the border between South Tyrol and Trentino, Italy. The Great Dolomite Road was the first road built to open up the Dolomites to visitors, and it opened along its whole length in 1909. Gianni Motta led the Giro d’Italia over the pass from this side in 1966, as did Flavio Vanzella in 1993 and José Rujano in 2005.
This ride starts at Cornedo, at the mouth of the Eggental. The old road through the gorge, squeezed between rock walls, closed in 2008, and the valley road now runs mostly through tunnels. Above Birchabruck the ride climbs through Welschnofen to the Karersee, the lake that was one of the great romantic sights of the Dolomites around 1900. Just above it stands the former Grand Hotel Karersee, where Empress Elisabeth of Austria stayed. The ride ends at the pass, on the border with Trentino.
