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Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana

HC
3.8
4 reviews | Elevation profile | 16 photos
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
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Elevation profile Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana

Statistics

Difficulty points 1066
Length 11.6 mi
Average gradient 7.3%
Steepest segment 13.2%
Total ascent 4429 ft

Short recap

Famous climb
Beautiful scenery
23 hairpin turns
#4 toughest climb of Sicily
#9 most elevation gain of Sicily
#19 longest climb of Sicily
#41 average steepest climb of Sicily
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Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana is a climb in the region Catania. It is 11.6 mi long and bridges 4429 ft of vertical ascent with an average gradient of 7.3%, resulting in a difficulty score of 1066. The top of the ascent is located at 6237 ft above sea level. Climbfinder users shared 4 reviews of this climb and uploaded 16 photos.

Road name: SP92

3.0 by Mxtytte
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: English.
Nice climb, not too much traffic (perhaps because it was a Monday). Would no doubt have been even better if it hadn’t been cloudy. Being fully visible in the morning, Etna clouded up pretty fast, limiting both the coastal views as well as the mountain views (but fortunately no rain ☺️) Make sure you bring a windbreaker, as it can get chilly. Around the 14k point a 1-2k stretch of bad pavement, watch out when descending. Rifugio Sapienza is a busy tourist trap, nót a lot of fun.... read more

Photos (16)

Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
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Reviews (4)

5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
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mcwieger
mcwieger premium
2 y 3.0
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

Beautiful, varied landscape. Some parts have nice smooth tarmac, but the difference from the mostly coarse tarmac is great (making the climb a lot harder). Punctured in the descent by a pothole in the road, so be careful!
Lots of cars's and coaches. The latter sometimes come awfully close, unfortunately.
In terms of heaviness, the climb was doable, but if you come from sea level (in my case Giardini Naxos) you get a tough one (1890hm).

Mooi, afwisselend landschap. Sommige delen hebben mooi glad asfalt, maar het verschil met het overwegend grove asfalt is groot (wat de klim een stuk zwaarder maakt). In de afdaling lek gereden door een kuil in de weg, dus pas goed op!
Veel auto's en touringcars. De laatste komen soms akelig dichtbij, helaas.
Qua zwaarte was de klim te doen, maar als je vanaf zeeniveau komt (in mijn geval Giardini Naxos) krijg je een zware klim voor de kiezen (1890hm).

Dashboard
Mxtytte
Mxtytte
3 y 3.0

Nice climb, not too much traffic (perhaps because it was a Monday). Would no doubt have been even better if it hadn’t been cloudy. Being fully visible in the morning, Etna clouded up pretty fast, limiting both the coastal views as well as the mountain views (but fortunately no rain ☺️) Make sure you bring a windbreaker, as it can get chilly. Around the 14k point a 1-2k stretch of bad pavement, watch out when descending. Rifugio Sapienza is a busy tourist trap, nót a lot of fun.

Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Dashboard
ClaudioScavo
ClaudioScavo
3 y 5.0 01:59:48 (5.8 mph)
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Italian. Show original

Long climb, some fairly steep but manageable sections. Road surface not optimal, watch out for volcanic sand.

Salita lunga,qualche punto abbastanza ripido ma gestibile. Manto stradale non ottimale, attenzione alla sabbia vulcanica .

Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Dashboard
dkampman
dkampman
4 y 4.0 01:25:36 (8.1 mph)
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

A very long but beautiful climb. The road is reasonable with occasional volcanic ash/sand on the road. Most of the climb is doable with some fairly steep sections. In autumn it can be very cool at the top, so take extra warm clothes for the descent.

Een erg lange maar prachtige klim. De weg is redelijk met af en toe wat vulkanisch as/zand op de weg. Het grootste gedeelte is redelijk te doen met een paar vrij steile stukken. In het najaar kan het heel erg afkoelen op de top, neem dus extra warme kleren mee voor de afdaling.

Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana
Dashboard

Climbing times

5 mph 02:19:32
7 mph 01:38:47
9 mph 01:16:59
12 mph 00:57:50

Road surface condition

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Based on 5 votes
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Traffic

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Based on 6 votes
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Frequently Asked Questions

Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana is a challenging ascent. For this type of climbing, we recommend mountain gearing, specifically a compact system. This means a small front chainring of 34 teeth, combined with a rear cassette where, depending on your level, strength, and experience, you choose a sprocket with 30, 32, or even 34 teeth. Remember that a smooth cadence is always more efficient!

Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana belongs to the Hors Catégorie, the top category. These are legendary and very tough climbs. A solid cycling condition, experience, and a good climbing gear ratio are essential to maintain a smooth cadence and complete the climb comfortably.

Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana is 11.6 mi long.

The average gradient of Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana is 7.3%.

Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana has a steepest segment with an average gradient of 13.2%.

The summit of Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana is at 6237 ft.

At a slow pace of 5 mph, it takes about 02:19:32 to climb Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana. At 7 mph the time is 01:38:47, and at 9 mph 01:16:59. For the fastest cyclists, 00:57:50 is an achievable time.

Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Zafferana is located in the region Catania in Italy.

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