Passo Eira

Livigno is a crazy good place for ticking off Deux Mille cols. You can access at least eight cols, but the biggest ones are divided by “smaller” ones. To get to Bormio (to get to Stelvio and Gavia), you will need to climb the nice little col, Passo Eira.

From Livigno, the climb crosses the eastern part of alpine skiing landscape. It is not a challenging climb at all. It totals less than 5 km from Livigno. There are a few switchbacks in the the lower part, but otherwise it's a fairly straight road up to the top. Since the tunnel from Livigno to Switzerland cannot handle heavy traffic, a lot of it passes over Passo Eira, but you will be okay riding early in the morning.

Even easier is the climb from the east. The trigger is that you, at this point, have already done Passo Foscagno – the customs border into Livigno – which is a more difficult climb, as it starts in Bormio. From Foscagno, it is a slight descend before a 2.5-kilometer climb to Passo Eira. At the top is the excellent and friendly Alpino Lodge Bivio, which can also be a great base camp for cycling in the area instead of Livigno.