Stelvio pass question

dozz · Dec 20, 2005

everyone knows the pic taken from high looking down into the valley showing the hairpins, my stoopid question is, what direction is uphill, into or leaving Italy?
And how long are the series of hairpins 10 miles?

John Armstrong · Dec 20, 2005

This might help:

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53689

The Phantom Pieman · Dec 20, 2005

dozz said:
everyone knows the pic taken from high looking down into the valley showing the hairpins, my stoopid question is, what direction is uphill, into or leaving Italy?
And how long are the series of hairpins 10 miles?

Stelvio doesn't really leave italy , but drops down a little to a pass that then takes you into Switzerland ... but you can ride back into Italy again

The really hairpinny bit is on the Italian Italian side, rather than the Italian -> Swiss side ( I guess the south east side) ....

How long is it? ... sort of depends when you start measuring. Try www.alpineroads.com

Vendome 41 · Dec 20, 2005

Uphill from Bormio to the top of the pass to leave Italy and about 10 miles for the climb from memory

Iain Hogg · Dec 20, 2005

Heading west to east, it's uphill from Bormio and downhill towards Bolzano. Stay on the main road (The Stelvio) and you never leave Italy :confused.

Plenty hairpins both sides:

Looking west towards Bormio

and east towards Bolzano

Iain

BGF · Dec 20, 2005

http://www.webcam.valtline.it/stelviog.htm
Here's another view from a webcam looking NW from the top of the pass. The road nearest the camera is the SS38 to Bormio. It leads down past the building on the left which is the border control for Switz. and off the left of the picture. The road in the distance is the Umbrail Pass in Switz.
I've done the Stelvio a few times now so I set myself a challenge this year ...

[/IMG]

alan t · Dec 27, 2005

49 hairpins from top to bottom heading to bolzano,go see 4 yourself (its worth it).

Muppet · Dec 27, 2005

Do the Grossglockner instead......much nicer/smoother more enjoyable road to ride

sven · Dec 28, 2005

Muppet said:
Do the Grossglockner instead......much nicer/smoother more enjoyable road to ride

Got to agree with you there Clive - an awesome road :bow

http://www.grossglockner.at/static/cms/pdf/motorradhimmel.pdf

Although the Stelvio is great for the view and sense of achievement, it's not much fun from a riding perspective.

The Lenzerheide, Fluella and Ofen passes on the way there from Chur were much more fun

The Phantom Pieman · Dec 28, 2005

Stelvio is in pretty poor conditions. In the wet it is down right unpleasant ( add in a thunder strom happening a bove and around you, and it's reall mean !

And I would tend to agree about the passes on the way there ... though they are low altitude ... San Bernardino is worth it as well ....

sven · Dec 28, 2005

The Phantom Pieman said:
And I would tend to agree about the passes on the way there ... though they are low altitude ...

Not as high as the Stelvio maybe, but still very high compared to anything in the UK

http://www.bikersoracle.com/vfr/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13139

walti · Dec 28, 2005

Sven (nice local Yorkshire name) have you got the routes via the other passes (The Lenzerheide, Fluella and Ofen passes on the way there from Chur were much more fun) written down anywhere?

The Phantom Pieman · Dec 28, 2005

walti said:
Sven (nice local Yorkshire name) have you got the routes via the other passes (The Lenzerheide, Fluella and Ofen passes on the way there from Chur were much more fun) written down anywhere?

www.alpineroads.com

red rocket · Dec 28, 2005

Hay I'm famous I'm in the picture I went over that pass again in September this year 30 degress though doesnt look so pretty as it did when that was taken in June.

The ride from Chur to Davos I really enjoyed also the one the other side of the Stelvio just through Merano Italy St Leonardo SS44 which joins up with the A22 brenner pass think it is. I think I prefer those which are flowing roads to the Stelvio which is a pretty daunting ride & god knows how many bikes get dropped in a season we met a couple trying to pick up their pan.

Any way what ya doin in here Sven any thing to tell us

Ian

sven · Dec 30, 2005

walti said:
Sven (nice local Yorkshire name) have you got the routes via the other passes (The Lenzerheide, Fluella and Ofen passes on the way there from Chur were much more fun) written down anywhere?

Imay still have them on AUTOROUTE, but it's a pretty simple route:

From the Ibis Hotel Chur, turn left onto the main road outside & then left at the traffic lights 200m up the road - you are then on the Lenzerheide pass to Tieifencastel.

The route is then:

34 to Davos
28 Fluella Pass to Zernez
20 Ofen/Fuorn Pass towards Mustair

In a village just before the Italian border, you'll see a sign for the Umbrail pass - this leads you to the top of the Stelvio.

About 3-4 hours at a steady pace.

Some pics here http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/...lery&cmd=user&user=899&op=view_album&album=80

Global Rider · Jan 1, 2006

dozz said:
everyone knows the pic taken from high looking down into the valley showing the hairpins, my stoopid question is, what direction is uphill, into or leaving Italy?
And how long are the series of hairpins 10 miles?

As already mentioned, all of Passo dello Stelvio, also known as the Stilfser Joch in German, is within Italy.

The east ramp has 48 hairpins between Gomagoi and the pass top.

Looking down towards Gomagoi...

The west ramp has 39 hairpins between Bormio and the pass top.

Looking down towards Bormio...

The total distance between Spondinig in the east and Bormio in the west is 50 kilometers (31 miles).

Just west of the pass top while on your way to Bormio, a road heads north into Switzerland over the Umbrailpass and heads into Santa Maria in Münstertal. That road has about 2 kilometers of gravel surface (unless they finally paved it in the last two years). From there, you can head over the Ofenpass and to other passes in Switzerland. The only other nearby routes into Switzerland are through Schluderns, the tunnel in Livingo (toll) or the Berninapass.

red rocket · Jan 1, 2006

No it's still gravel but no problem to ride even on my late vfr .Unfortunately I rode it twice having got to the bottom of the 48 hairpins only to realize the sign at the top said it was only open for hour to enable you to get off so had to turn round & ride all the way up it again & back down again into Switzerland.

I suppose like a lot of people I wanted to cross it off my list of passes but to be honest it is by no means the most enjoyable .Still got a supply of t/shirts while at the top

Global Rider · Jan 2, 2006

red rocket said:
No it's still gravel but no problem to ride even on my late vfr.

That it was in 1996 and in 2003 when I drove over the Umbrailpass to Santa Maria in Münstertal. Yes, it is smooth and hard packed. Certainly not an issue on any bike, but if it rains, what a mess.

You'd figure will all that money in the banks of Switzerland, they'd have some loose change to pave 2 kilometers of road.

Stelvio pass question

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