Sella Ronda: Breathtaking

by Martin Bissig

Mute, my eyes and mouth wide open in amazement, I stand there and can't believe it. I try to take in what I see. Vertical walls that stretch almost endlessly into the sky. Like the spires of an oversized cathedral, the rocks look opposite me. No matter which way I turn, the panorama is breathtaking and holds me completely captive. The whole being is reduced to the visual impressions that pelt in.

In my rush of images, I perceive an indistinct voice as if from a great distance. Only when I manage to concentrate fully on the voice, the scenery in my head changes. Our always good-humored guide Klaus is standing in front of me, and turns out to be the source of the voice. "Don't you want to keep going, we still have a little 'something to go?" he asks with a friendly smile, pointing to the trail ahead. Oh, that's right, that's why I'm here. I try to sort out my thoughts. I'm on the Sella Ronda in South Tyrol on my mountain bike. The mountains that almost put me in a trance go by the names of Sella Towers and Sassolungo. Slowly I have arrived back in reality. Hello earth, hello Klaus! Thank you, yes I want to ride!

Start in Alta Badia
In Alta Badia, in the heart of the Dolomites, our day started this morning with a terrific breakfast at the Hotel Melodia del Bosco. Klaus runs with his sister here a very family business, which is fully tailored to the wishes and needs of cyclists. In the morning in front of the door, the crowd is mixed. A few road cyclists have just set off, a small group with pedelecs is still fitting the freshly charged batteries to the bikes. Other mountain bikers are getting ready to tackle some of the trails in Alta Badia, and we, Caroline and I, together with Klaus, are setting off for the Sella Ronda. Maps, information and guides are available for each program here at the hotel.

A guide is also recommended for the Sella Ronda. "We will ride some trails throughout the day that cannot be found in any map," Klaus promises us. Countless variants in all possible degrees of difficulty are possible, which can be adapted to each group and thus linked to an individual experience. Financially, there is also no reason not to rely on the knowledge of the professionals. A tour with a guide costs just 10 euros more than if you buy the tickets yourself. Tips and ideas for further tours and information about the country and its people are included free of charge.

Circumnavigation of the Sella massif
We have chosen to go clockwise around the Sella massif. In this direction it is possible to use more cable cars and we have to pedal uphill less meters of altitude ourselves. Also, technically more demanding trails can be linked in this direction of travel. But both is possible, depending on the gusto. We have anyway the feeling that here for cyclists almost everything is possible. Most cable cars are happy to invite the bikes. Trails have been built parallel to the footpaths, ensuring that the interests of hikers and bikers are respected. Once a year, the entire Sella Ronda is even closed to road traffic and reserved for bikers. On the "Sella Ronda Bike Day" it is then: no noise, no traffic, only the 56 km, the four passes and probably 22,000 cyclists!...

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