Passo del Cason di Lanza from Paularo

We (my girlfriend and I) wanted to do this climb three years ago but sadly there were roadworks going on just outside the village, and there was no workaround possible. So when we were here once again it was at the top of our list. We’ve been riding for about 40 hours a week for two weeks in the Venetian Dolomites so when conquering this climb we suffered a bit, but enjoyed ourselves immensely! The road up from Paularo is steep right away and narrow as well. After a few turns the road enters a dense pine forest and gets even narrower for the majority of the climb. Road surface is rough through frost damage and wear. Roadwork is continuously going on in these parts of the world so the road conditions will vary from season to season. When we were climbing we saw the bags with quick repair tarmac lying besides the road. Don’t expect great tarmac though. The gradients are (very) steep for the first five or so km’s, then a substantial section downhill allows for some recuperation. The second part of the climb starts out on an alpine meadow to return to the forest and is less steep in general, but still has some pretty hard sections to conquer. Along the climb there are beautiful scenes to be seen, the road passes through a small tunnel and there is a general charm about it that makes it appealing to me. Old road constructions, bridges, waterfalls, guarding (and lack there of) etcetera. Also a lack of traffic whizzing by like on a bigger pass. In the weekends there is a bit of traffic, mostly hikers driving op to the trails. Didn’t bother me at all, the drivers are generally very attentive to cyclists. Good to mention is that the road down to Pontebba is officially closed. This is in order since June 2024. There are roadblocks which can easily be passed by bike, but there for a reason. A section just two kilometres from the pass, suffers severe damage caused by erosion. Travel at your own risk and be very careful if you’re going to go through! The whole way down to Pontebba is in a very bad shape so no whizzing down while relaxing, but very attentive and decisive descending. This is a climb for a particular public. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this obviously goes for cycling routes and climbs as well. I like to be challenged in more ways than just altitude meters or climbing grades. I go with a road bike where many would rather bring a gravel bike. And have handling skills that are above average. If you are in for not so middle of the road riding and enjoy ‘hidden gems’, then this is a possible treasure for you to be found.