Riding the Stelvio Pass and its 48 hairpins
3 min read
The Stelvio Pass climbs to 2,757 m (9,045 ft) in Italy's Ortler Alps, the highest paved pass in the Eastern Alps. Here's which way to ride it, when it's open and where to stop on the way.
Three ways up
The pass links Prato allo Stelvio, in South Tyrol's Val Venosta, with Bormio in Lombardy. A third road comes up from Switzerland.
- From Prato allo Stelvio (north): 28 km (17 mi) and the 48 numbered hairpins, stacked up the mountainside below the summit. This is the side in the photos.
- From Bormio (south): 22 km (14 mi), with fewer hairpins.
- Over the Umbrail Pass (west): from Santa Maria Val Müstair in Switzerland, joining the Bormio side near the top. It has fewer bends and less traffic than the main road, with views that are just as good.
Ride up one side and down another, and you've seen the whole pass in a day.
When to ride
The road closes for winter. It usually opens around the start of June and closes around the end of October, but the dates move by a few weeks with the snow, so check before you set off.
Summer weekends are busy with cars, cyclists and other bikes, all sharing the same tight bends. Ride early in the morning or on a weekday and you'll have far more of the hairpins to yourself.
Riding the hairpins
On the northern side the hairpins come one after another, so take them slowly and smoothly: brake before the bend, look through it for oncoming traffic, and ease on the throttle on the way out. Give cyclists room, since you'll pass a lot of them on the climb.
It's much colder at 2,757 m than in the valley, even in July. Bring a warm layer for the summit.
Five places to stop
- The summit: the top of the pass at 2,757 m, with the view straight down the hairpins you just rode.
- Trafoi: a small village on the northern side, a good place for a coffee on the way up.
- Umbrail Pass: the quieter road into Switzerland, and a good way to turn the ride into a loop.
- Bormio: the town at the southern foot of the pass. Its thermal baths are the place to end the day, and the old town is good for dinner.
- Val Martello: a side valley off the Val Venosta, inside Stelvio National Park. The road is narrower and quieter, through forest and pasture, and you may see wildlife.
