Italy, Lombardy, Italy
Cycling's cruellest climb doubles as a brutally steep, tightly hairpinned driving test.
Length
12.5 km
In miles
7.8 mi
Driving time
23 min
Atlas rating
8.7 / 10
The run
Mazzo di Valtellina to Monno. Drive it in either direction, though the views usually favour the climb.
Season
Snow possible December to March
Nearby
19 km away
Passo di Gavia
A narrow, unguarded ribbon past Lago Nero that feels wilder than its famous neighbour.
27 km away
Bernina Pass
Glaciers hang over the road as it threads past turquoise Lago Bianco to the Poschiavo valley.
34 km away
Passo dello Stelvio
Eighty four hairpins stacked above the treeline make this Europe's most theatrical mountain pass.
34 km away
Passo dell'Umbrail
Switzerland's link into the Stelvio is a quieter alternative with the same drama.
49 km away
Maloja Pass
Tight zigzags drop dramatically off the Engadine plateau toward the Italian border.
57 km away
Julier Pass
A fast, sweeping Roman era route across a bare, boulder strewn Engadine watershed.
Longer journeys
4h 15m
The Great Dolomites Drive
Four legendary passes strung between limestone cathedrals, the definitive alpine day.
1h 30m
Stelvio Pass
Forty-eight numbered hairpins stacked like a staircase into the sky.
3h 20m
Lake Garda Mountain Loop
Gardesana corniche tunnels, then a climb into olive terraces above the water.