The Passo Giau is an iconic climb in the Italian Dolomites. The Passo Giau has gained its legendary status from its inclusion as one of the HC climbs in the Giro d'Italia.
The Passo Giau is located in the Veneto region and has a North and South ascent. The South ascent begins in Selva di Cadore with an ascent of around 10km distance. From the beginning the gradient ramps up to 10% so be prepared to work hard almost straight out of the box.
The Passo Giau has 29 bends to the summit and each bend is sign posted, much like the iconic Alpe d'Huez ascent. The max gradient is 10.4% approx with a few sections around the 10% gradient mark. From bend 11 until 20 for approx 1.5km the gradient is around 10% and as a sting in the tail, the last 0.5km is over 10% to the summit.
Between bends 1 and 8 the road up the Passo Giau south side crosses the river Codalonga via bridges four times. Tunnels are located at bends 10 and 16 so be sure to bring a rear light to be safe.
If you are attempting this climb you can use the Venice railway station or airport as an arrival point and that way you can also take in the splendour of Venice.
Country: Italy
Mountain range location: Dolomites
Distance: 9.5km
Elev Gain: 922m
Avg Grade: 9.3%
Max Grade: 15.6%
Climb cat: H/C
Min Elevation: 1314m
Max Elevation: 2236m
Suggested Airport: Venice Marco Polo
Suggested Train Station: Venice Santa Lucia Train Station
