A family adventure – bikepacking through the Dolomites with Belén's brother
Bike Touring Collection by tristanbogaard
7
Tours
14:47 h
136 mi
19,000 ft
When Horacio, Belén's brother, asked us if he could join us on one of our bikepacking adventures, we didn't think twice... So, we took him through the Dolomites, in the autumnal landscape of October, on e-bikes. And what a trip it was!
For those unfamiliar with bikepacking in the Dolomites, you should know that I wouldn't actually recommend riding there most of the year – unless you don't mind a mass of buses, motorbikes, race cars and cyclists going back and forth on every pass. Fortunately, there are also gaps between the busiest seasons for a quiet and magical bikepacking experience, although these are sometimes accompanied by cold temperatures.
One such gap is in the month of October. Every time Belén and I visited this mountain paradise during October, it was always a trip to remember. The first snow might be falling, the sky might be blue and the trees provide a motley collection of earthy, autumnal colours, with orange, yellow, red and green hues. If you’re lucky and it’s clear in the morning or evening, the sun sets the glorious Dolomite peaks ablaze with molten light.
Horacio enjoyed it immensely and so did we. I find it so impressive, how with the help of a little battery power – our bikes used a power sensor, so you definitely have to put your own effort in on the climbs – he was able to ascend passes he would never have considered with a bike. You can see the details and photos of each day in this Collection and find a full video report of the trip below. And below that, the beautiful video Belén made of the trip, in which she tells her brother's story!
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Last updated: September 5, 2023
Tours
- 01:407.98 mi4.8 mph3,400 ft75 ft
Day 1 of our Dolomites e-bikepacking trip! We arrived to Ponte Gardena after having taken trains from Milano Centrale, and started riding uphill straight away. The electric bikes took a bit of getting used to, but we quickly figured out our ideal speeds and assistance mode.
There was a lot of traffic…
- 02:1315.1 mi6.8 mph3,050 ft3,125 ft
Day 2 of our Dolomites e-bikepacking trip! The fog welcomed us in the morning, with wet and moody weather meeting us further up the climb. We just tried to make it to Compatsch as fast as we could. There we sat down for breakfast and charged the batteries, too.
We had to charge in cafes and restaurants…
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- 02:1318.9 mi8.6 mph2,325 ft3,700 ft
Day 3 of our Dolomites e-bikepacking trip! Fully recharged (batteries and ourselves) we set off to ride the northern road of Marmolada, along Lago di Fedaia. The climb itself was really doable and all on asphalt, as well as the descend. Wherever we tried to get off the road, we'd encounter roadworks…
- 02:1419.6 mi8.7 mph4,400 ft3,425 ft
Day 4 of our Dolomites e-bikepacking trip! What started as a cold, wet morning in the river valley was turned around as soon as we hit the sunshine. A lovely first section up to Passo Giau, morning coffee in Selva di Cadore, and an unfolding of autumn colors the further we climbed.
Scaling Passo Giau…
- 02:1921.6 mi9.3 mph4,000 ft2,400 ft
Day 5 of our Dolomites e-bikepacking tour! Perhaps the best day of the trip? Not only did we start the day with blue skies and sunshine, we also go treated to an incredible gravel bike lane on our way from Cortina D'ampezzo to Misurina, along the north side.
Along the way we discovered that the motor…
- 02:3231.3 mi12.4 mph1,250 ft4,275 ft
Day 6 of our Dolomites e-bikepacking trip! One for the books, thanks to the incredible colors of the forests between Misurina and Auronzo di Cadore.
There's a fantastic bike lane between these two towns, almost fully on gravel, leading you easily and enjoyably down the mountains. The forests we passed…
- 01:3722.0 mi13.7 mph600 ft1,875 ft
Day 7, the final day of our Dolomites e-bikepacking trip. Waking up in the peaceful spot we'd chosen to camp out in, we felt rested and ready for the last kilometers towards the first available train station.
Besides reaching the station before noon, another goal was to find a cafe for breakfast. In the…
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Collection Stats
- Tours7
- Distance136 mi
- Duration14:47 h
- Elevation19,000 ft
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