Each summer, in turns, our epic alpine passes close to vehicular traffic. This is your time to enjoy them to the fullest!!!
Stelvio, Gavia, Mortirolo and Cancano are among the most famous and spectacular passes of the Stelvio National Park and of the Alps.
They have been the stage of many epic and unforgettable climbs that have written (and are still writing) the cycling history of the Giro d'Italia.
The beauty of these roads, set in a landscape that has no equals, should not be the prerogative of athletes and sportsmen alone. They are for all mountain enthusiasts, athletes and mountain lovers alike.
The Stelvio National Park has created the Enjoy Stelvio National Park event with the aim of giving people the opportunity to enjoy these majestic alpine passes to the fullest, without the traffic of motorbikes and cars. Isn't that great?
Whether on foot or by bike, this is your chance to enjoy the beauty of these routes in complete tranquillity.
The Stelvio Pass
At 2758 meters above sea level, the Stelvio is the second highest pass in Europe. It connects Bormio with Valle di Trafoi and Val Venosta in the nearby Alto-Adige.
It also links Italy with the Engadina region on Switzerland throught the Umbrail Pass.
On the Valtellina side, with a series or 40 hairpin bends in 21 kilometers, it gives you an uphill elevation of 1500 meters.
Stelvio Bike Day
In recent years this has become one of the most eagerly awaited events by cyclists from all over the world: the Stelvio Pass is totally closed on all three sides (the Lombardy side from Bormio, the South Tyrol side from Trafoi and the Swiss side from Santa Maria Val Müstair) for the entire day.
The Cima Coppi, established in 1965 in honour of the cycling champion Fausto Coppi, is the highest point, in terms of altitude, ever reached by professional cyclists during the Giro d'Italia and can be identified with the 2,758 metres of the Stelvio Pass.
Take note: on the last weekend in August, you too can feel like a champion for a day and aspire to conquer the most famous peak in cycling history!
The Gavia Pass
The Gavia Pass, one of the highest alpine passes in Europe (2618m above see leel), connects S. Caterina Valfurva (in the Sondrio province) with Ponte di Legno (in Alta Valle Camonica - Brescia). From the Valtellina side, the road gives you a 900 meters uphill elevation in 13 kilometers.
Climb to the Lakes of Cancano
This is the only climb of the Enjoy Stelvio that is not an alpine pass: it is infact the road that from Bormio leads to the Lakes of Cancano, the 2 big artificial lakes of the Valle di Fraele built for the production of electricity. The road was buit during the First World War, when the works for the constructions of the dams begun (1925), and is made up of 20 hairpin bends that give you 600 meters of uphill elevation in just 9 kilometers. At the top of the climb are the ancient Towers of Fraele.
The Mortirolo Pass
The Mortirolo is not as high as the other passes of the Enjoy Stelvio Valtellina as it stands at 'only' 1852 meters above see level. From the Valtellina side of the pass there are many differents roads you can take to climb it, and none of them is easy! The ascent from Tiolo (in the municipality of Grosio) is 14 kilometers long and gives you an elevation of 1100 meters, while from Mazzo di Valtellina the climb is 12 kilometers long for 1300 meters of altitude difference. A new very tough (and steep) road has recently been added starting from Tovo Sant'Agata and making you gain more than 1300 meters of altitude in just 12,5 kilometers.
Ascent to Campo Moro
The route to Campo Moro is not a real ‘pass’, but rather the road that leads from Lanzada (972 m above sea level) to the hydroelectric reservoirs of Campo Moro and Gera located at 2016 m. The15 km climb that reaches peaks of 14% give you an elevation gain of more than 1000 meters.
San Marco Pass
At an altitude of 1994 metres above sea level, the San Marco Pass straddles the provinces of Sondrio and Bergamo. The Valtellina side offers more affordable gradients that reach peaks of 10% along its 15 km of road, while the Val Brembana side has a 12 km climb with a maximum gradient of 17%.
Spluga Pass
The Spluga Pass is one of the most important passes in the Alps and one of Valchiavenna's classic road cycling climbs. It starts from Campodolcino at an altitude of 1086 meters above see leavel, and reaches 1906 meters above see level after a very tough 14 km climb with gradients of up to 48%.
