In the last 2.5 km of the climb from the Giovo Refuge to the San Jorio Pass, the road gets much worse; it becomes almost impossible to proceed on gravel, especially in the first section. In the last kilometer, the trail is paved and becomes more accessible.
At the Giovo Pass, there's a fountain with excellent water, and as you climb, you can see the entire length of the road up to the refuge and the pass.