From Bormio, take the 13-km sloping route along river Frodolfo up to Santa Caterina Valfurva, the hometown of Italian Olympic alpine skiing gold medallist Deborah Compagnoni and mountaineer Achille Compagnoni, who was the first to reach the K2 summit. Here is where the climb gets tough.

From Bormio to the Gavia Pass (2.652 m), you cover 25.6 km with an average gradient of 5.5% and a maximum gradient of 15%. After a few kilometres, you can see animals grazing in the meadows of Plaghera. The scenery changes when you enter Val di Gavia. Here, you’ll find a narrow road with no hairpin turns up to the summit. The higher up you go and the barer the landscape gets. Once you’ve passed the Rezzalasco stream, you’ll reach the most demanding 5 km stretch. The climb gets easier while you pass the Rifugio Berni, a few lakes, and Rifugio Bonetta.