Towers of rock pierce the blue sky like ancient battlements. Pine forests cling precariously to the slopes below. A tantalising sliver of tarmac beneath your wheels leads through green meadows festooned with wildflowers towards the swirling climb ahead. The Passo Gardena is surely one of the most enchanting climbs in the Italian Dolomites, with every switchback revealing glorious picture-postcard views. But this Giro d’Italia classic – which looms above the town of Corvara in the Alta Badia region – has a dark secret.
Although less well known than the neighbouring Passo Sella and Passo Pordoi, which along with the Passo Campolongo form the four passes
