Dolomite pass
A steady link that shapes the Sellaronda and Maratona, rather than defining it
The Campolongo (1,875m) is an Alpine pass in the Dolomites, marking the border between Veneto and Trentino(-Alto Adige).
It’s located east of the Sella Group and runs between Arabba (Belluno) with Corvara (Trentino) connecting the Cordevole and Badia valleys.
The Campolongo is the most understated of the Sellaronda passes.
It doesn’t try to stand out. It’s shorter, steadier, and less demanding than the climbs surrounding it — and that’s exactly its role. Rather than defining the ride, it connects it.
This is the pass that links everything else together, because without it, the Sellaronda and Maratona wouldn’t really work.
Campolongo provides:
- a manageable entry into the loop
- a transition between harder climbs
- or a final effort that doesn’t overwhelm what came before
The gradients are consistent but moderate, the length is limited, and the effort rarely spikes. It’s a climb you ride through, not one that defines the day.
That doesn’t make it forgettable — it makes it functional.
It’s the pass that keeps the sequence flowing.
Giro d’Italia
Between 1949 and 2023, the Campolongo has been in a Giro d’Italia stage 17 times, sometimes combined with other passes of the Sellaronda.
In 2016’s stage 14, the Maratona course was included as a tribute the 30th Anniversary of the event.
La Villa
From La Villa, the long end of the Campolongo is 10.6 kilometers 4.3%.
The stretch most travelled, from Corvara, is 6 kilometers at an average of 5.8%, with the steepest kilometer at 7.6% (max 9%) starting shortly after you exit Corvara.
I’ve done this end during my Giro’s of 2011, 2015 (prologue and stage 3) and 2020 (Maratona).
Arabba
Even less impressive is the ascent from Arabba: just under 4 kilometers, but at 7.1% which is just enough for me.
I’ve only done this end twice: in 2011’s Sellaronda and 2015’s stage 3.
via Wikimedia Commons