Dolomites: Driving over Gavia Pass and Stelvio Pass in mid-Sept

I was in the Dolomites in the first and second weeks of Sept 2021. Most things were open (except some cable cars and lifts) in Val Gardena. You should have a plan B in case the weather isn't good. There is no point in going to such places if it rains or it's too cloudy.

Driving in the Dolomites can be exhausting though fun ('coz it's scenic).

Agreed, Barkinpark. If the reports show lousy weather on the passes, we'll just take the more direct route on A22.

There are so many beautiful passes, Stelvio is not one of them. I call it Satan's pass. Klaussen is beautiful. The 18th will get you into snow season, so you should check with locals. J

A "compromise" route, if you are not feeling up for two major alpine pass drives, would be to drive through Riva del Garda, Madonna di Campiglio, and the SS42 to Bolzano. Some very good scenery along the way, without driving the long way around two tiresome passes.

@joanne1108: Satan's Pass! It does look diabolical. Unfortunately Klaussen is too far north for us to see.

@balso: I checked out your suggestion and it does indeed look like a nice compromise. There are a few places along the way that seem like they're worth a stop, too. Thanks!

@Melrow

I have spent time around the border of the Lombardia/Trentino. Have accumulated many acquaintances, mostly on farming properties, around Ponte di Legno, Passo Tonale, Incudine, Edolo, slopes of Adamello, Aprica, Sondrio, Tirano and the Northwest slopes of Piz Languard east of the Engadin/Samedan airport. I know the passes you referenced. I have been through them on a number of occasions. The box ticking tourists rarely venture to enjoy these alpine areas so will try and be rather clinical in what I write. I do not want to see hordes descending on this pristine region.

Weather. Alpine climate.

The closest records from my travel diaries for your times are from mid-October 2010.

With my wife and youngest daughter. Had been to Milan and Paris for the fashion shows and somehow my mate Luigi (isn’t everyone called Luigi) got wind that we had come over again and insistently invited us to a dinner in Malonno to catch up with a few friends. A little over 40 showed up.

13/10/10 Wed Lecco on Como 19c nice day

14/10/10 Thur Lovere on Lake Iseo 18c

15/10/10 Fri Incudine farm. Drove to Passo Tonale. 1900 Metres. Cold. (7c?) Had in mind to take the cable car to Ristorante Passo Paradiso for lunch. Circa 2,500 mtrs. However, maintenance work for ski season had been delayed. So did not happen. The dinner that night compensated in a large way.

Told that light snow flurries started a week later.

16/10/10 Sat Local market in Malonno. 600 mtrs. 15c cooling down. Left for Mestre to prepare for flight next day to Dubai. Mestre was drizzling and cold 13C.

So, I would conclude that a month earlier, this alpine area, would, on balance, have nice drivable weather.

The Passes

I am pleased to read that some have a negative view of the passes.

Have only driven them with manual GT/sports cars, have no experience on the passes with normal city type hire cars. Most fun on the Stelvio was with a 1968 Mini Cooper S (the real ones), making the fullest use of the hand brake and scaring my two sons. We still reminisce. I laugh and they have a look of fear again. Plenty of youtubers have posted videos.

I also have spent time in FVG. On farms not in the touristy areas. May post a few words later.

When 10 years old, my Aussie football coach often told us: whether you think you can or think you can’t, -- you are right. I quoted him in a first-year uni paper on collective bargaining and industrial law. The tutor pulled me up for not attributing it to Henry Ford. I plead innocence; the tutor ask the others if they knew who said it. Some had heard it, but no one knew who said it. Let me off. I went to the library to read about Ford. Never forgot that saying.

So “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, -- you ‘re right.”

You are not nuts. Regards

Ron

@Tassie Devil, what an awesome reply! Thanks for taking the time to share your stories. Yes, that quote is a fav (didn't know it was from Ford either). It reminds me of Yoda's "Do or do not. There is no try" in that your state of mind is powerful in any circumstance. But I digress into the esoteric...

I'm thinking we're going to go with the "compromise" route mentioned by @balso, mostly due to time. We will head out of Malcesine pretty early that day, but we want to be able to see Ötzi before the museum closes in Bolzano and going over the passes will eat up too much time. Plus I found a few interesting things to do along the way, if time permits.

Your friend Luigi sounds like the kind of person we love to meet on our travels. We tend to like to stay in B&Bs, agriturismos, and family-run lodges just so we have the chance to interact with others. We were staying in Puerto Williams, the furthest south town in SA (not Ushuaia, despite the hype), and we had dinner with someone from China, from Italy, and from Chile. When staying in France, we met a couple who had worked on the Mars Rover project! And don't get me started on the wonderful people we met on our two trips to New Zealand - one of my favorite places on Earth. Someday we hope to make it to Australia, maybe even Tasmania!

Thanks again for the travel stories.