Klammljoch from Erlsbach

Do you want to cycle to Tibet? Do you like beautiful views at every kilometre?
Do you hate motorbike traffic and like a bit of adventure? Welcome to the long road to the Klammljoch, an unknown pass between Austria and Italy.

To get to the start, you first have to cycle through the whole Defereggen Valley - no pun intended - and then descend the Passo Stalle or park your car in the car park. Then you pass the barrier of the toll road for free on tarmac through the beginning of the valley. Here you are still riding mainly through the forest, but you can see glimpses of the wild river and the mountains towards which you are cycling. The landscape opens up more and more and the first mountain pastures appear. Until the last car park at the closed Alpengasthof Oberhaus, the going will be easy, although there are one or two short stretches. This is also where the gravel section begins, as well as the large Alpine meadows through which you will cycle up to the pass height.

At the halfway point, you round a bend, the trees disappear and you see the picturesque Seebachalm. In the distance and to the right and left are rugged mountains and side valleys that seem to go nowhere. From here, you'll want to take a photo every kilometre. Further on, you can see the pass curving more steeply. But even on that steep part, you can enjoy the beautiful rock faces.

And there is (little) Tibet! At least, that is the nickname of the Jagdhausalm, an 800 year old village of 15 stone houses. They are the oldest Alpine huts in Austria and you can even cycle there for a break.

Now a hairpin bend awaits you to the pass height that you will not see until the very last moment. The lovely thing about the road here is also.... road; it's a lot steeper, but not that far. What a jewel of a pass! And because a large part of the pass is at high altitude, it is not very hot, despite the open location.

Now for the big question: is the unpaved part doable with a racing bike? I am afraid not, at least not with 25 or 28 mm tyres. There are certainly parts doable with a road bike, but larger sections are at best doable with 32 mm tyres and a sense of adventure. I myself rode a gravel bike with 45 mm tyres and that went fine. Nevertheless, I would like to keep this climb on Climbfinder, simply because it is too beautiful to skip if you are in the area. In Matrei, next to the cable car, you can rent a gravel bike, so enough possibilities. If you are so ambitious to make a round of it with the Passo Stalle as I did, keep in mind the steep gravel descent from the pass height of the Klammljoch to the asphalt in Riva di Tures. The first few km you look more at the road than at the view.