Everyone always asks for favourites and it's always really hard to answer. Some days I rode with my fellow Macedon Ranges folk (although one is now in exile in Victor Harbour), enjoying the company and the collective effort, other days I was on my own, setting my own tempo for the day. I definitely remember more fondly those shared climbs.
This trip was effectively a highlights tour of the climbs of the Dolomites. You can never ignore the true magnificence (and altitude) of the Stelvio and its ludicrous 48 hairpins. It's almost opposite is the goat track and isolation that is the Gavia (my favourite mountain). We were lucky enough to have the Gavia to ourselves as the road was still closed to traffic yet it was clear enough for cyclists - plus, the Refugio was open for much needed coffee and strudel!
Maybe it's the endless climb (and even longer descent) of Monte Grappa, a mountain steeped in tragedy. We felt every moment of it in the cloud and cold. Some climbs are consistently solid but never ridiculous - looking at you Passo Pordoi or Passo Giau - while others are deep into Type 2 territory - suffice to say, the Fedaia will live long in the memory, if not in the favourites list! Definitely put the Sella Ronde on your bucket list, 4 cracking climbs and descents in less than 60km whilst immersed in classic Dolomites vistas.
The weather always had an influence. We had a few days of rain and a few more hours of rain on a couple other days. The Passo Tonale would have been stock fair but the rain and cloud somehow made for a far more interesting climb than I expected. I do think having to wait for a helicopter to take off as it airlifted an unfortunate motorcyclist to Trentino haunted my thoughts on that climb.
Maybe the Passo Pennes would have been a highlight and at 27km long it's a beast on a good day. The fact that the first 20km were a false flat drag up the valley into a block headwind before the fun stuff began definitely dulled the experience! Conversly, some of the lesser known climbs were knocked out under perfect skies, making for some unexpected delights.