Probably the most demanding stage of the whole route, with questionable route planning, cruel gradients, hike-a-bike sections, and plenty of climbing. Getting to Selva from the Eisack Valley was the most complicated puzzle we had to solve when planning our route to Sella. There are a couple of major road options, but all feature steep gradients and likely heavy traffic, so we opted for a questionable mix of farm and forest roads. The first 13 km along the Eisack are extremely easy. Then comes a steep, asphalted section with plenty of double-digit gradients. This is followed by a long hike-a-bike stretch with steep gradients and a barely rideable surface (3.5 km in total). On the positive side: there are no cars at all! :) Finally, the route joins the LS/SP139 in Lajen/Laion. The road looks scary on the map, but in reality, there are barely any cars. The views are magnificent – you can already see the Dolomites from there! After St. Peter, you have three options: continue along the road (which becomes wider and busier near the Grödner Straße junction), opt for the gravel path higher up the hill, or choose the MTB trail in between. A local lady suggested the last option, and it is nice overall, with just a couple of technical sections where you might need to hike. After that, there are dedicated bike paths all the way up to Sella. Overall, this segment is very demanding, with 1,400 meters of elevation gain and plenty of hike-a-bike. For the first part, you may choose the paved road from Gufidaun/Gudon, which we used later for descending (see the Day 8 route), but be aware that the first 1.5 km follows a major road that is also quite steep.