LA
PORTA
ALTA
Journey
Italian Alps Brevet
Text & images
Novak Stefanovic
A local once told me the name Gavia meant a passage—a doorway between the mountains. Standing near the summit, I understood that. This ribbon of tarmac didn’t settle here; it simply paused before falling away again toward another valley, another world. Even the wind seemed to be passing in a rush, never staying long. A place not meant to be inhabited—only crossed.
There are mountains that cyclists climb for glory, for numbers, for the curve of a switchback or the view from the top. And then there is Gavia. It is not a road but a threshold—an old passage carved through silence, where shepherds, soldiers, and cyclists have all left their mark. On its narrow ledges, the world falls back and the sky comes closer, as if the climb is not upward but inward, toward something older than effort or pain.
To ride Passo Gavia is to move through a place where nature has not been tamed, only briefly traversed. The climb asks patience, presence, and a willingness to meet the mountain on its terms. There are no grand plazas at the summit, no triumphal markers—just a refuge, a chapel, a lake pale as breath, and the sense of having passed through something larger than yourself. It is a crossing in every sense: of landscape, of history, of one’s own limits. And long after the descent begins and the valley rises back to meet you, the memory of that high, wind-swept doorway remains, quiet and unshakable.
Discover the queen of the Alps.
QUEEN OF THE ALPS
High in Lombardy’s Central Alps, on the serrated crest dividing Valle Camonica from the Valtellina valley, Passo Gavia threads its way through a landscape both wild and monumental. The road climbs from the southern village of Ponte di Legno and rises toward the high, snow-streaked ridges before dropping north toward Bormio, its summit perched at 2,652 meters. This is not a broad alpine road, but a narrow, exposed ribbon of tarmac clinging to cliffs and glacial moraine, at times feeling less built than discovered. Even in summer, snow lingers on the side of the road while the wind carries a chill that whispers of winter’s return at any moment.
To reach the summit is not to conquer this grand mistress of the Alps—no one conquers Gavia. The mountain allows passage. And those fortunate to reach Rifugio Bonetta carry the memory like a mark on the soul, long after the descent is done.
THE GIRO
In the world of cycling, Gavia is legend. Though known to locals and explorers for centuries, it earned its place in the collective memory of the sport during the Giro d’Italia. Most famously, in 1988, as riders battled their way through a blizzard near the summit, visibility vanished into white haze as hypothermia stalked the peloton.
Andy Hampsten attacked on the climb, but what is remembered is not victory—it’s survival. Riders finished with blue lips, shaking hands, tears frozen onto their faces. Some were put into warm baths and didn’t stop shivering for hours. That day, Gavia revealed itself as more than a climb: it was a crucible, a place where courage and suffering are laid bare and where stories are not merely told, but forged at the edge of stone and sky.
Known among the locals as La Porta Alta—the high doorway—Gavia is a passage between worlds, seasons, and states of being.
RIFUGIO BONETTA
For cyclists, Rifugio Bonetta is now almost mythical. When the Giro d’Italia first passed over the Gavia in 1960—and again in the legendary 1988 snowstorm stage—Bonetta and the refuge staff were among those who offered warm drinks and blankets to riders nearly frozen at the summit. To this day, the mountain refuge is a cradle of cycling history, as stories of champions, past and present, adorn its walls.
The refuge is named for Angelo Bonetta, a local mountain guide and caretaker who opened the original structure in the mid-20th century. Bonetta was well known in the area for his work maintaining the route over the pass and supporting mountaineers, shepherds, and the first adventurous cyclists who ventured up before the road was fully paved.
Today, Rifugio Bonetta remains family-run, still tied to the Bonetta name. Despite updates for comfort, cyclists are greeted with the same essentials that made the place matter in the first place: heat, soup, polenta, strong coffee, and the sense of simply being there—on the summit of Gavia.
The Route
Start / Finish
Bormio
Distance
146km
Elevation Gain
3600m
Highest Point
2652m
Open
June to October
LA PORTA ALTA
The route begins in Bormio and descends the Valtellina valley through quiet villages and apple orchards to Tirano. From there, the road rises into the climb of Santa Cristina—a beautiful, lesser-traveled approach that winds through forest and meadows to the summit of the Mortirolo. A fast descent on pristine tarmac drops you to Monno, before the gradient eases toward Ponte di Legno. It’s in this alpine village, at the northern edge of Val Camonica, that the ascent of Passo di Gavia truly begins.
STAY
Palace Hotel
Built in Italo modernist style Palace Hotel in Bormio is a great starting point to discover the area. Family run and cycling friendly, it offers exceptional half-board value.
EAT & DRINK
Rifugio Bonetta
The refuge on the summit of Gavia serves a hearty lunch not to be missed. Think polenta with wild boar ragu, crostata di albicocche, and a digestivo to top it off — all homemade at 2652m. Be there no latter than 2pm.
Agriturismo Rini
For a genuine farm-to-table alpine dining experience, pay visit to Agriturismo Rini in Bormio. Make sure to book a table in advance.
One Journey Inspires Another
Join our journey as we celebrate the idea that cycling is an attitude of discovery as much as it is an action or destination. You will gain access to stories, cycling routes, and photography that not only foster thoughtful perspectives on the places we visit, but also deepen your sense of community with like-minded individuals.
21 — 28 June 2026