The legendary Passo dello Stelvio can be tackled either from Prato or from the town of Bormio. It stands as the ultimate, highest peak of the Giro d’Italia, and for the vast majority of road riders, this pass represents the ultimate, bucket-list alpine cycling climb.
Passo dello Stelvio (2,757 m} above sea level) is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps and the second-highest in the entire alpine range. The route frequently features as a key stage in the Giro d’Italia, holding the proud distinction of being the highest summit finish in Grand Tour history.
Passo dello Stelvio
The pass is located in the Ortler Alps in Italy, wedged between Stilfs in South Tyrol and Bormio in the province of Sondrio. It sits roughly 75 kilometers from Bolzano and a mere 200 meters from the Swiss border. In fact, you can cross into Switzerland via Santa Maria by taking the sharp Passo Umbrail turnoff just two kilometers below the summit on the Bormio side—though to be completely honest, I’ve never quite had the courage to simply drop down into that foreign valley on a whim. 😉
For road cyclists, two distinct roads lead up to the Passo dello Stelvio: the approach from Prato and the approach from Bormio. Both possess their own unique magic. I have conquered the Bormio side twice, and the Prato side once. And I must admit… it wasn’t enough.
Giro d’Italia Showcase
💖 The Sacred Alter of the Cima Coppi
Passo dello Stelvio (2,757 m) is far more than just the highest asphalt ribbon in the Eastern Alps; it is the absolute high altar of Italian cycling. In fact, in honor of this alpine giant, Giro organizers introduced the prestigious Cima Coppi title in 1965, awarded to the highest summit reached during each year’s race.
The Mythic Debut (1953): The Stelvio entered cycling lore during its very first appearance in 1953. The legendary “Campionissimo” Fausto Coppi launched an attack so fierce on the endless hairpins that he completely dismantled the race leader, Hugo Koblet. Coppi seized the pink jersey and sealed his fifth historic Giro victory.
Frozen Dramas at the Summit: Due to its extreme altitude, the Stelvio remains an absolute logistical nightmare for organizers. Stages have been canceled or drastically rerouted due to late-season avalanches and heavy snow walls. The 2014 edition remains unforgettable: the peloton crested the summit in a blinding blizzard with sub-zero temperatures. Colombian rider Nairo Quintana exploited a chaotic, visibility-free descent to escape his rivals, securing his overall Giro victory after a heroic solo finish on Val Martello.
From Bormio to Stelvio Pass
When you first roll through the crossroads leaving Bormio, you are still smiling. As you pass the roaring glacial streams, your spirits are high. Even as you enter the first dark rock tunnels, your legs feel up to the task. But after that, the ride becomes an intense mental battle.
Roughly six kilometers into the climb (the gentler section), your brain starts debating the big questions. You begin formulating elaborate justifications for turning around and quitting. The ultimate, most convenient excuse is, of course… a fake puncture…
Summiting the Passo dello Stelvio is not something just anyone can do. It requires immense mental fortitude, a stubborn will, and months of solid conditioning. But how do you cope with your own exhaustion when, on a road that barely one out of a thousand average cyclists can conquer, you suddenly cross paths with a man in a wheelchair? A man who is propelling himself upward entirely with his bare hands, scaling 27 kilometers and 1,600 meters of elevation gain with continuous 10% ramps? Completely unassisted? Hearing Luca’s story makes you freeze. It takes you a moment to catch your breath and actually believe what your eyes are seeing. Is an achievement like that even humanly possible?
The switchbacks on the Bormio side are relentless—consistently hovering around 10%, spiking occasionally to 14%. The Stelvio doesn’t break you with its outright steepness; it destroys you with its sheer length. Try turning the pedals continuously uphill for 27 straight kilometers. Along the way, you pass through dozens of damp, narrow tunnels—an unforgettable experience. And then, you meet Luca. This iconic ascent is a mandatory pilgrimage for any serious cyclist.
You conquer the lower set of switchbacks, push past the old stone chapel by sheer force of will, and enter the massive, sweeping alpine arcs leading to the pass. You roll past the Swiss customs house and the Passo Umbrail junction, but you keep climbing higher toward the sky. The final meters feel completely infinite.
Passo Umbrail junction
Most cyclists finishing the climb pull over right at the official 2,760 m sign. They are utterly ecstatic, but their shoes are completely filled with pain, and they don’t want to hear a single word about the fact that riding just 300 meters more around the local restaurant would push them past the coveted 2,800 m barrier.
We made it to the top. The rush of endorphins is instantaneous. The summit is alive with activity 16 hours a day.
From Prato to Stelvio Pass
Prato is a small, charming village sitting on the opposite side of the mountain, heading toward Nauders. While this classic approach is significantly more photogenic due to the world-famous grid of 48 numbered switchbacks, it is actually the easier side to ride. The Mortirolo and Gavia passes are far more brutal.
The tight geometry of the Prato hairpins allows for a brief micro-recovery every 200 to 300 meters as you swing through the flat apex of each turn. Everyone who knows it calls it “the intestine.” The opposite Bormio side, with its long, straight, multi-kilometer ramps of solid 12% incline, is far less forgiving.
The road is exceptionally narrow, the corners are incredibly sharp, and during the peak summer season, the asphalt is packed with cyclists and motorcyclists. This makes it all the more shocking when you find a Polish tourist navigating a large Volkswagen Caravelle towing an enormous camper trailer—an ego as massive as a politician’s—trying to squeeze his way up these tight mountain switchbacks.
“Proszę pana, czy jadę do Prato, prawda?” (Excuse me sir, is this the road to Prato?) he shouted as he pulled up alongside us.
I stared at him blankly. “Are you completely serious? You’re taking this massive trailer to the top?” If he doesn’t get completely wedged in one of the tight corners, his vehicle is going to snap in half. 😉
“Wiesz. My wife and friends went up the mountain on their bicycles, but they can’t ride down. I have to drive up to retrieve them.”
We pulled out our phones and showed him pictures of the road waiting above. He quickly understood the gravity of the situation, nervously checked his phone, and began executing a tight U-turn while there was still enough room to spin around.
The Recipe for Survival at the Roof of the Alps
If you want to reach the roof of the world, you have to lock your mind, keep turning the pedals, and accept the reality that the next few hours hold nothing but uphill grinding. Do not stare at the peaks looming far above you; just focus on your rhythm. Never let yourself get baited into chasing the riders who fly past you. Ride your own tempo, unless you want to find yourself stranded on a gravel turnout with agonizing muscle cramps. Energy bars, magnesium, and massive amounts of water are absolute essentials up here.
Conquering this climb unleashes unexpected, raw emotions. Everyone is deliriously happy when they clear the final ramp. Anyone who has ever turned a pedal up these slopes understands that bond. We find ourselves sitting nearly 200 meters higher than the highest peak in our home country, completely intoxicated by endorphins.
And the reward at the summit is fantastic: a classic, unfiltered glass of Vitamin B for a beautiful €6, paired with an alpine view that very few people on this earth ever get to see. The surrounding nature is otherworldly; the massive glaciers put on a truly spectacular theatrical show.
Bormio serves as an exceptional base camp simply because it anchors so many legendary climbs out of a single point: Livigno, Mortirolo, and Gavia are all right at your doorstep, each representing a unique masterpiece of mountain cycling.
The Verdict
Stelvio, Gavia, Mortirolo. We came back and conquered them all for a second time, completing three successful Stelvio ascents—two of which were crushed within a single 48-hour window.
When people ask us: “Why did you choose to return to Bormio again?” The answer is simple. The Dolomites and the Lombardian Alps are stunningly beautiful. An experience this powerful is absolutely worth repeating. Rarely do you have three legendary giants sitting right at your feet from a single staging point.
We are constantly discovering new trails, new routes, and new alpine vistas. And on this second trip, we also discovered that spectacular 23-year-old bottle of Guatemalan Ron Zacapa rum waiting for us in the shops of Livigno. We became such fast friends with it that we simply can’t imagine an alpine trip without it anymore. 😂
