
Where is Colle di Valcavera?
Italy, europe
47 km
2,416 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: You're cruising through the northwestern corner of Italy, practically spitting distance from France, and you stumble upon Colle di Valcavera. This mountain pass climbs to a cool 7,926 feet and it’s a real beauty, if a bit of a beast.
The road’s all paved, thankfully, but don’t expect a smooth ride – it's got its fair share of rough patches. What it *does* have in spades is curves. Hairpins for days! This baby’s been featured in the bicycle race, so you know it's got some serious elevation gain. And speaking of steep, some sections max out at a pretty intense gradient.
Clocking in at just over 29 miles, this stunner winds its way and is the same road you'd take to reach. Just a heads up: winter slams the door shut on this road, so plan your trip accordingly. The scenery is unreal, though, so totally worth braving the climb!
Road Details
- Country
- Italy
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 47 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,416 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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