When the Dolomites humble you but leave you smiling anyway
Today was supposed to be one of the most epic days of our trip, and it definitely ranks among the most talked about in the planning stages. It sparked many prep mountain bike rides back home to build stamina for prolonged saddle time—and a few jump track sessions to get used to swoopy singletrack.
The plan? Tackle the Sellaronda orange route (the clockwise direction).
What is the Sellaronda MTB Loop?
It’s a legendary 56km mountain bike circuit in the Dolomites that loops around the Sella Massif, crossing four mountain passes and using a mix of lifts and trails. You can ride it clockwise (orange) or counter-clockwise (green), with gondolas doing the climbing and riders tackling epic downhill trails in between.
Spoiler alert: not all things go to plan.
A Great Start (and Breakfast of Champions)
We kicked things off with an early breakfast at Residence La Tambra (honestly, one of the best food spreads of the entire trip—this place is worth every euro). From there, we hopped on the free bus to Selva (which deserves its own post) and picked up our electric full-suspension mountain bikes from Quality Rental.
With our Dolomiti Super Summer Pass in hand, we headed up the Costabella lift—a standard ski chairlift with bikes loaded behind each rider. It felt weird being on a lift in shorts and bike shoes instead of snow pants and skis.
The First Signs of Trouble
From Costabella, it was a quick descent to the Dantercepies gondola. So far, so good—though the e-bikes were heavy, and getting used to the electric assist took a bit of adjustment.
It was at the top of Dantercepies that we should’ve known things were about to get spicy. Riders in full-face helmets and pads zipped by, and then… Lia was the first to go down. The trail was slick with ball-bearing-like scree, and her bike slid out. She popped back up, a little bloody but fine.
Ten minutes later, Noah launched Superman-style off his bike into the bushes. His shoulder and hip bore the brunt—more blood. I started to wonder if we were in over our heads.
The Wheels Start to Fall Off (Literally & Figuratively)
We made it down to the Col Alt lift, rode up, and that’s when everything unraveled.
- First, we got lost and looped the Col Alt section again, which meant another descent through the scree minefield.
- Then Lia went down hard, and her nerves were shot.
At that point, we’d gone maybe 10km in 3 hours, and there was no chance we’d finish all 56km before dark. Our options:
- Push on (not safe).
- Take a ridiculously long detour (no thanks).
- Loop back via the green trail—more uphill, but much safer.
Plan B: Making the Most of the Green Trail
Thank goodness for e-bikes. The green route turned out to be kind of fun, and with the time pressure gone, spirits lifted. Noah even dubbed the e-bike “the cheat code.” We still had 9 miles to go and no GPS (we forgot to download the route), but the signage was excellent, and we managed just fine.
We rolled into town by 4:00 p.m. The boys still had some energy and hit the jump track for a few laps while Lia and I returned our bikes and grabbed some well-earned snacks.
Sunset Lift & A Chill Evening
We squeezed in one last lift ride to soak in the views—absolutely spectacular at golden hour. The boys returned spent but happy, full of stories and trail war wounds.
We caught the beloved bus back home, and while Mark ran out for groceries, the rest of us showered and did laundry (bless this apartment setup).
Dinner was cozy and casual: steaks, spätzle, zucchini, and a perfect glass of wine. Most of us crashed early—tomorrow is another big one: hiking Sassolungo.
Day 8 Tips: Mountain Biking the Sellaronda with Kids
- If you’re doing the Sellaronda MTB loop, download your GPS tracks ahead of time!
- The orange route includes some advanced sections—gear and prep accordingly.
- Bring a first-aid kit—trust me on this one.
- E-bikes are a game changer, especially if you’re adjusting your route.
- The Dolomiti Super Summer Pass is essential—it covers all lift access.
- Know when to pivot. Our Plan B was still full of adventure (and fewer injuries).
What started as an epic endurance ride turned into a lesson in flexibility—and a reminder that sometimes the detour is the adventure.
Comments are closed