Famous climbs to explore🇮🇹 Italy · Ortler Alps, Lombardy · The Climbing Atlas

Passo dello Stelvio

From Bormio · 21.1 km · 7.4 % average

Photo: Photo: Damian Morys from New York City, United States · CC BY 2.0

Start
Bormio
Summit
2,757 m
Distance
21.1 km
Elevation gain
1,555 m
Average gradient
7.4 %
Maximum gradient
Not reliably sourced
Difficulty
Extreme (FIETS 13.2)
Profile

The climb at a glance

Schematic A straight line at the average gradient – the real road is steeper in places and easier in others.

0 km5 km10 km15 km20 km≈ 1,202 m2,757 mØ 7.4 %
  • The northern side from Prad/Prato has 48 numbered hairpins over about 28 km (Wikipedia).
Professional heritage

In the footsteps of the pros

  • Giro d'Italia: first crossed in 1953, when Fausto Coppi beat Hugo Koblet (Wikipedia).
Estimated climbing time

How long might it take?

Sustained power≈ Time
2.5 W/kg2 h 08
3.5 W/kg1 h 34
4.5 W/kg1 h 15

Estimate Physics model at constant power on a constant 7.4 % gradient: rider 75 kg, bike and kit 9 kg, rolling resistance 0.005, CdA 0.4 m², air density 1.1 kg/m³, 3 % drivetrain loss; W/kg relative to rider weight; no wind, no stops. Real times vary – this is not a standard.

Best season

High-mountain road: typically a summer and early-autumn climb – check pass opening before you travel.

Weather & altitude

Summit at 2,757 m: expect it to be much colder than in the valley – roughly 6–7 °C per 1,000 m in typical conditions.

Surface & traffic

[PLACEHOLDER] Road surface, traffic and tunnels – to verify

Water & food

[PLACEHOLDER] Fountains, cafés and the last shop before the top – to verify

Descent

[PLACEHOLDER] Descent notes – surface, hairpins, cold. Always pack a layer.

Nearby climbs

Data quality

Sources & verification

Data Figures copied from the sources listed, retrieved 14 Nov 2026. Published numbers differ with the exact start and finish – we show one sourced version. Exact start point and date of on-the-road verification: [PLACEHOLDER] to record.

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