Lombardy · Italy
Passo del Mortirolo
SP81Mazzo di Valtellina to Monno
Cycling’s most feared climb, brutally steep and narrow.
The Mortirolo Pass at 1,852 m between Mazzo di Valtellina and Monno is one of the most feared climbs in cycling, a narrow, relentlessly steep road through forest with ramps up to 18%. Demanding to drive too; mind the gradient, the cyclists, and the tight, blind bends.
The cyclists made it famous, but it grips just as hard behind the wheel: a relentless ladder of switchbacks where the asphalt seems to fall away beneath you.
Why we picked it
Scenery
Best seasons
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Where it runs10.1 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Steeper than 9 in 10 roads here in the catalogue.
Corners
busiest around mile 3Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%765 – 1,858.4 mPoints of interest3 stops
- Passo della FoppaViewpoint6.0 mi in
- Lapide ai CadutiLandmark7.1 mi in
- memorial Marco PantaniLandmark3.3 mi in
Hazards
- Extreme gradient and tight bends
- Cyclists in numbers
- Narrow, blind corners
Sources
“A Five-Star Road Through the Italian Alps”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
Driving the Passo del Mortirolo: quick answers
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