Italy · Dolomites
Passo Fedaia (Marmolada)
The climb to the foot of the Marmolada, queen of the Dolomites. The final ramps above the dam are brutal. A Giro classic.
- Length
- 14.0 km
- Avg gradient
- 7.6%
- Max gradient
- 18%
- Elevation gain
- 1,064 m
- Summit
- 2,057 m
- Hairpins
- 16
Versants
- From Canazei — 14.0 km at 7.6% (max 18%)
- From Alleghe — 16.5 km at 6.4% (max 15%)
History
The Fedaia climbs to 2,057 m, but what makes it remarkable is the final approach: a series of ramps near the dam above Alleghe that kick into double digits and have decided stage wins in the Giro d'Italia. The climb is short by Alpine standards — 14 km from Canazei at 7.6% average — but concentrated and punishing.
The Marmolada, the queen of the Dolomites, sits directly above. On clear days the climb is as much about the scenery as the numbers: jagged limestone cliffs, the glaciated peak visible from low elevation, and a complete transition from Italian villages to high-altitude plateau.
The Giro has used the Fedaia many times since it became a regular mountain stage finish, and it's prized by organisers for its dramatic finale and the television spectacle of the Marmolada backdrop. Riders rate it as one of the toughest short climbs in the Giro's arsenal.