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Le passo di San Boldo

An impressive 701 metres

Jean-Jacques Monod, Ecublens (Switzerland) No. 6556

In July 2008, together with a friend who is a centcol enthusiast, we spent a week in Italy, in Feltre, south of the Dolomites.
During one of the stages, we crossed the Passo di San Boldo IT-BL-0706. At an altitude of 701 metres, with a 6-kilometre climb and a 470-metre elevation gain, it wouldn’t even be worth mentioning. It links two valleys 16 kilometres apart (near Monte Cimone). But it really is a different sort of ride. As you leave the valley, you pass through the pretty little village of Tovena, then the road climbs gently: 5, 6, 7.

And as we approach the mountain, a dizzying rock face looms before us. We find ourselves wondering just where we’re going to get through. Our patience is being put to the test.

The higher we climb, the closer we get to that cliff face. We’ll have to either cross it or climb over it.

And then, surprise!

As you round a bend, you can see the road stretching across four different levels and the 180-degree hairpin bends carved into the mountainside. The road is narrow and allows traffic to flow in one direction only. Traffic lights regulate the flow of traffic. After less than 3 km, once past the last tunnel, you reach the summit.
Every col is different: the gradient, the scenery – but this one is truly special.

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