Day 1 · Corvara – Passo Campolongo – Arabba – Passo Pordoi – Canazei (62 km, 1,900 m up)
Easy warm-up, or so you think. Campolongo is gentle, then Pordoi hits you with 28 hairpins and those giant walls turning pink at sunset. I stopped at the top monument crying a bit, first big pass of the trip. Descent to Canazei is fast and smooth. Slept in a tiny family hotel, ate spaghetti until I almost burst.

Day 2 · Canazei – Passo Sella – Passo Gardena – Corvara (45 km, 1,600 m, the classic Sella Ronda)
Shortest day but maybe the prettiest. Sella has those moon-landscape rocks, Gardena is smoother with green meadows and cows with bells. Did it clockwise because morning light on the Sella north face is unreal. Afternoon free: coffee and strudel in Corvara, legs already asking for mercy.

Day 3 · Corvara – Passo Valparola – Passo Falzarego – Passo Giau – Colle Santa Lucia (78 km, 2,600 m, the killer)
Giau destroyed me. 10 km at average 10%, last 3 km never under 12%, I was zig-zagging like drunk. Top is pure Dolomites porn: green bowl, jagged peaks everywhere. Descent to Colle is 20 km of pure joy, hit 82 km/h without trying. Slept in a rifugio, ate speck and dumplings until coma.

Day 4 · Colle – Passo Staulanza – Palafavera – Passo Duran – Arabba (85 km, 2,400 m)
“Recovery day” they said. Duran is a hidden monster, narrow road, 15% ramps, almost no traffic. Afternoon coffee in Arabba watching paragliders land in the field. My legs started making strange noises.

Day 5 · Arabba – Passo Campolongo (again) – Passo Gardena (again) – Passo Pinei – Ortisei (70 km, 1,800 m)
Dropped into Val Gardena for a change, Pinei is quieter and has insane views of Sassolungo. Ortisei is cute town, best gelato of the trip (pistacchio + stracciatella). Bought new chain, old one was crying.

Day 6 · Ortisei – Alpe di Siusi – Passo Sella (again) – Passo Pordoi (again) – Arabba (68 km, 2,200 m)
Alpe di Siusi is Europe’s biggest alpine meadow, cows everywhere, felt like Sound of Music on a bike. Then back up the big ones for the third time, legs surprisingly okay, body adapting or just numb.

Day 7 · Arabba – Passo Falzarego – Passo Valparola – San Cassiano – Corvara (55 km, 1,600 m, victory lap)
Last day, took it slow, stopped at every viewpoint. Final descent from Valparola into San Cassiano with the sun behind Lagazuoi, almost started crying again. Finished with a beer in Corvara main square watching the mountains turn pink one last time.

Random stuff I learned

Coffee: every pass has at least one bar at the top, cappuccino + bombolone = legal doping
Weather: changes in 10 minutes, always carry rain jacket
Roads: perfect tarmac, wide shoulders on most passes, drivers super respectful
Food: pasta, strudel, speck, repeat, gained 2 kg anyway
Booking: rifugios and hotels fill fast in July-August, book 3-4 months ahead
Gears: anything higher than 1:1 on Giau and you’ll walk
Best moment: sunrise on Passo Sella completely alone, just me and the mountains

Seven days of hurting so good, eating like a king, sleeping with windows open to the sound of cowbells and waking up to those crazy limestone towers glowing pink. Do it once and you’ll be ruined for normal cycling forever.
Ci vediamo sulle Dolomiti!