Routes

Pass conditions

Are the high passes open?

The great mountain passes close for the snow, then reopen when it clears. For 121 of the world’s most sought-after passes, here is the typical season, the live weather at the summit right now, and our own road notes on when each one shuts. Always check the official road status before you set off: conditions change fast up high.

A guide to the typical season and the live weather at the top, not a live open or closed status. Always check the official road status before you travel.

France

The West

Japan

Italy

Switzerland

Albula Pass

2,313 m · Switzerland · best in summer and autumn

Closed by snow in winter, open roughly June to October

Season guide ›

Splügen Pass

2,119 m · Switzerland · best in summer and autumn

Long winter closure, roughly late November to early May

Season guide ›

Norway

Valdresflye

1,389 m · Norway · best in summer and autumn

Closed in winter; open roughly May to November

Season guide ›

Austria

Sölkpass

1,790 m · Austria · best in summer and autumn

Closed in winter and vulnerable to storm damage

Season guide ›

The East

Romania

Transbucegi

1,930 m · Romania · best in summer and autumn

Seasonal closure with snow and ice outside summer

Season guide ›

Montenegro

Slovenia

Georgia

New Zealand

Pakistan

Babusar Pass

4,175 m · Pakistan · best in summer

Seasonal closure roughly November to June (open only about July to September)

Season guide ›

Turkey

Zigana Pass

2,460 m · Turkey · best in spring and summer and autumn

Snow closure roughly five months a year

Season guide ›

Albania

azerbaijan

Bulgaria

Canada

China

Greece

Iceland

India

Morocco

north-macedonia

Galičica Pass

1,597 m · north-macedonia · best in spring and summer and autumn

Seasonal closure November to mid-March

Season guide ›

Sweden

Taiwan

Common questions

How can I tell if a mountain pass is open right now?
The only definitive source is the road authority for that pass, which usually publishes a live status and the season’s opening and closing dates. This page helps you judge by showing the typical driving season, our own road notes on winter closures, and the live weather at the summit, but conditions change quickly up high and the official status is always the final word.
When do the high Alpine passes usually open?
Most open between late May and early July, once the winter snow has been cleared, and close again from October or November. The exact dates shift year to year with how much snow fell, so a high pass can still be shut in June after a heavy winter.
Can you drive these passes in winter?
Many of the highest close completely for the winter, and the cards above flag which, using our road notes. Some lower passes stay open year round but need winter tyres or chains, and any of them can shut at short notice in a storm.
What is the highest pass here?
Karakoram Highway is the highest at 4,706 m, followed by Spiti Valley Road and Mount Blue Sky Road. The thin air and late-lying snow make these among the last to open each year.