Sella Joch
Highest Point: 2244m
|
| Southern Approach: |
|
|
| from Canazei (1456m) |
788m |
11+1/2km
|
from Pordoi Joch turnoff (1850m)
|
394m
|
6km
|
| Northern Approach: |
|
|
| from Groedner Joch turnoff (1900m) |
344m |
7+1/2km |
|
-----------
View eu_Sella_Joch
in a larger map
----------- |
Riding over the Sella Loop is a religeous pilgremage of
sorts for some cyclists. This loop is made up of four
passes, this one, Groedner Joch (pso Gardena), pso
Campalongo and Pordoi Joch. And pilgrimages are not
solitary experiences but are done in large groups. On my
ride I encountred support vans for cycle tourists from
Holland, lots of racers and other single mtb tourers like
myself. But the number of cyclists still pales in
comparisson to the masses of tour busses and swarms of
motorcycles that make this loop.
When comparing the four passes of this loop, the name sake
is also the highest of the four, but only by several
meters depending on the source, putting it at roughly
equal height with Pordoi
Joch. The scenery around the Sella Joch is the most
surrealistic and rocky of the four.
Approaches
From South. Immediately after leaving the
immaculately illustrated houses of Canazei behind, 13 forested
switchbacks climb to the junction with Pordoi Joch. Staying
left here, the road heads for a straight wall in the Sella
group. The pass can be seen from a long distance down the
approach. When it comes into view, and appears like a
precarious slot between limestone teeth, three incisors to the
left, the highest being the middle Sasso di Levante (3114m).
To the right is the massive block that makes up the Sella
Group. The top of the pass is a small, crowded spot,
where a hotel, a souvenir shop, usually a parked bus,
motorcycles and cars mill about. You could say, in summer it's
as busy as a subway station up here.
From North. (described downwards). The road
descends, largely in big radius curves between mountains that
resemble large discs made of limestone, stuck in the ground.
The bottom slopes are cut with ski lifts and runs, wherever
there's the slightest room for one, giving the landscape a
sort of dissected look at the bottom.
pic 3 above taken in Canazei, pics 2 and 4: southern
aproach, pic 3: just north of summit
Tours
Dayrides.A first loop ride over the Sella Group
passes with an additional short approach from a few kms below
Canazei, with lots of stops to take pictures: Fontanac >
Canazei > Sella
Joch > Groedner Joch
> pso di Campalongo
> pso di Pordoi >
back to Fontanac measured 45 miles with 6900ft of
climbing in 5:0 hours.
back to Cycling
Passes in Europe
|
