Passo di Gavia
The Stelvio’s ever so slightly younger and smaller brother, the Passo di Gavia has gained notoriety within the cycling community due to the Giro d’Italia’s attempts up the mountain in May and June when the road can still be banked with snow if not completely unpassable.
Dating back to at least to the 18th century the pass was used mainly by Venetian merchants on the way to Bormio and, beyond that, Germany. In the First World War, the Gavia’s strategic position, like many of the great passes, made it the focal point of intense fighting; the Cima di Vallombrina peak that overlooks the Gavia on the eastern side is still littered with fortifications used during that conflict.
Predating all of that, at the summit of the pass, is the Lago Bianco, or White Lake. Locals say that the name derives from the milky shade of the lake’s waters, itself the result of glacial lime in the inflowing stream.
The Gavia is mostly climbed by riders targeting the ascent of its bigger brother, the neighbouring Passo dello Stelvio but the Passo di Gavia has to its merit its own beauty and is well worth a visit to Bormio on its own.