Italian Alps : Mortirolo or Gavia - pick one?

Doing some route planning for a week long circuit from Innsbruck in August taking in the Stelvio, and some of the Maratona climbs. When getting from Bormio towards the Dolomites we have the option of Passo Gavia or Mortirolo. The latter is more famous but steeper (assuming the classic ascent from Mazzo di Valtellina) and has fewer views. The Gavia is higher and the approach from the north-west is supposed to be pretty if not the classic Andy Hampsten Giro climb.
Has anyone done both? and have any recommendations? We'll be credit-card touring with a Carradice on road bikes so both are probably do-able.
Cheers
Simon

Done both.

Gavia is a very beautiful climb, where you end up above the snow level, riding along a road cut into the snow, through an old glacier at the top, its awesome and quite challenging.

Mortirolo is for masochists. It's insane how truly ridiculous the unrelenting gradients are. There are no views to speak of, its all very steep switchbacks in tree line on a narrow slippy road, leading to a concrete path at the top. If you're carrying luggage you'd better have very, very, low gearing. It's not as enjoyable or rewarding but I guess everyone has to do it once to make every climb look easy in comparison.

Thanks, sounds like Gavia FTW, Mortirolo if I go there a second time as the experience sounds a bit like the Angliru without the views....

I've done both. Gavia is easier climb with nicer views and there's a cafe/bar thing at the top
https://goo.gl/maps/6aCmJvJpNQfX131K7

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Then again, Mortirolo does have a bike repair station at the top...

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@simonind, I think based on the very helpful feedback it's all becoming much clearer. Cafe trumps repair station, no?
Thanks @hippy and @Jameo.

Having also done both, I’d concur with @Jameo and @hippy that the north side of the Gavia would be preferable to the Mortirolo.

The north side of the Gavia was a TCR parcours last year. It's a fairly straightforward climb. Nicely graded and pleasant views.

The descent down the south side was extremely beautiful, but a bit hairy as the road surface is iffy in places, and it was dark by the time I got down. Hard to judge without doing it, but I got the idea that the climb up from the South would have been a lot harder.

It is. It’s a lot longer and noticeably steeper.

The descent of the southern side is hair-raising with a sheer drop of a few thousand feet on the right. I guess you wouldn’t have noticed that in the dark though!

I didn't want to divert the thread with stories of my fear on that descent, but as you ask, yes I fucking did notice it - it was terrifying! In fact I still have nightmares about it.

Not helped by being a bit tired, it was my fourth climb / descent of the day and my hands were really sore from the braking, so much so that I had to stop a couple of times as it was too painful. I was trying to get down quickly as night was falling and I had a hotel at the bottom which I was meant to get to by 10pm. But the combination of fucked hands, road surface breaking up and certain death if I made a mistake, meant I took it pretty slow!

Thankfully it'll be our first climb of that day as we're staying in Bormio so hopefully the descent won't be too nerve-wracking.
Route so far is:

Innsbruck - Merano (over Passo Giov0)
Merano - Bormio (over Stelvio)
Bormio - Mezzocorona (over Gavia and Tonale)
Mezzocorona - Marmolada (option of doing Pordoi)
Marmolada - Lake Fortezza (via Cortina, over Giau or Falzarego)
Lake Fortezza - Innsbruck

Nothing too taxing and should have plenty of time to stop for lunch as only 120km/2000m a day on average.

Any other route feedback welcome, there's a hotel at Innsbruck airport that will store bike boxes whilst we tour and easyJet fly direct from LGW-INN so logistics are straightforward.

Happy to share detailed routes on here once I've nailed them down.

Please do, I'm tempted to copy it :)

(via Cortina, over Giau or Falzarego)

The Giau is hard, 10 kms at 10%, but incredibly scenic at the top, which almost makes it worthwhile.

Nice route, hope you get decent weather for it.

I'm sure you'll want to do the Stelvio as it is the big climb, but the Umbrail is a lovely alternative. It's not quite as high but tough enough and very scenic. It's the same descent so you get to do all the hairpins (which I was hating with sore hands). Also there are far fewer motorbikes and cars. There were so many on the stelvio descent.

The Tonale is pretty straightforward. I did that early morning and had a pleasant espresso in a cafe in the ski village at the top. Lovely long, fast descent with enough curves to keep it interesting.

I did the Giau in the dark (up and down from the south), on a previous tcr, so can attest to it being a tough climb, but can't comment on the views! It's a nice climb though, lots of turns and a few tunnels for variety.

Innsbruck - Merano (over Passo Giov0)

A long time since I did this, but it's a fun ride. The descent down the Brenner pass isn't particularly interesting, but the route up and down to St Leonards is really pretty.

I'd be tempted to skip Brenner altogether, and head via Solden (on the way back, in particular - Timmelsjoch is awesome, and then heading over via Kuhtai, there is a completely bonkers descent where you can top 100kmh pretty easily).

I did the Maratona in 2014 so remember the Giau being tough, that was without luggage but many more climbs in the legs that day! I recall the Giau being better views but Falzarego would be the bail-out option if we're knackered by then.

I hope you don't mind a slight thread hijack but the information has been super helpful for a trip I'm planning in the summer and I wondered if I could draw on everyone's experience.

I'm doing the Duomo-Stelvio sportive in July from Milan to Stelvio. Its 230km and 3400m climbing so a decent day out. Unfortunately I'll need to head back to Milan pretty promptly rather than stick around. Was thinking about staying in Bormio then riding Gavia to Edolo the next day. Then if I've got the legs go over Passo Aprica to Tirano. That looks like 95km and 2000m climbing which feels doable.

Then either take the train back to Milan or ride back if I have enough time off.

Does all that sound vaguely sensible? Any better routes without adding too much extra climbing as think my legs will be quite toasted.

Gavia. Did both Gavia and Mortirolo in the Gran Fondo Marco Pantani and in fact Mortirolo isn't that nice. Gavia on the contrary is breath taking beautiful.

Also rode the Maratona in 2012, '13, '18 and now getting ready for it again (2nd of July). Giau is heavy but the views are scenic. Most of the climbs over there are great as mostly above tree line.

Went with the Gavia, trip was excellent despite some light rain most days. One pleasant surprise was the amount of well surfaced cycle paths alongside rivers or railways to keep you off the main roads in Italy - most welcome.

Here are the routes we actually took, happy to answer any queries regarding accomodation or other logistics. Penz Hotel West is a 5min walk from airport terminal and had a room to store bike boxes while we were in Italy.

Innsbruck to Naturno 127km, 2400m
https://www.strava.com/activities/9569022470
https://www.strava.com/activities/9570135960

Naturno to Bormio 87km, 2333m
https://www.strava.com/activities/9575455591

Bormio to Tuenno 104km, 2277m
https://www.strava.com/activities/9581770656

Tuenno to Digonera 143km, 2687m
https://www.strava.com/activities/9589313594

Digonera to San Lorenzo di Sabato 106km, 2228m
https://www.strava.com/activities/9594980114

San Lorenzo di Sebato to Innsbruck 121km, 1216m
https://www.strava.com/activities/9600359768

Innsbruck to Naturno 127km, 2400m

https://www.strava.com/activities/956902­2470
https://www.strava.com/activities/957013­5960

Naturno to Bormio 87km, 2333m
https://www.strava.com/activities/957545­5591

Rode this route in May, bringing back good memories. How good are the South Tyrol bike lanes?!

On the whole really nice tarmac, occaisionally you'll get a gravel section but nothing a road bike can't handle. The signing is pretty good as well so you don't need to constantly navigate. They're obviously a bit lumpier than the roads so progress is slower but so much more pleasant.

This is the one along the valley from Naturno to the base of the Stelvio climb...

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Which has to be a thousand times better than the main road through that valley, always busy with large German saloons travelling at speed in my experience.

This is along the same valley as SS48 'The Great Dolomites Road' to Canazei which was bumper-to-bumper at the weekend.

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