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Passo del San Bernardino

4.3
3 reviews | Elevation profile | 3 photos
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Passo del San Bernardino
Passo del San Bernardino
Passo del San Bernardino
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Elevation profile Passo del San Bernardino

Statistics

Difficulty points 1241
Length 19.5 mi
Average gradient 5.4%
Steepest segment 11.2%
Total ascent 5548 ft

Short recap

Famous climb
Beautiful scenery
46 hairpin turns
#43 toughest climb of Switzerland
#48 most elevation gain of Alps
#55 longest climb of Alps
#98 average steepest climb of Grisons
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Passo del San Bernardino is a climb in the region Grisons. It is 19.5 mi long and bridges 5548 ft of vertical ascent with an average gradient of 5.4%, resulting in a difficulty score of 1241. The top of the ascent is located at 6775 ft above sea level. Climbfinder users shared 3 reviews of this climb and uploaded 3 photos.

Road names: 13, La Víla, Stradón de Cabié (13), Arabèla, Strada Cantonale (13), Strada de Campagna, Strada de la Stazión, Strada de San Rocch, Strada de Darba, Strada d'Andergi, Strada de la Mezzénen, Strada

4.0 by LorenzoGbr
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: English.
The climb is very similar to the classical route from the South, but it deviates from to Mesocco to Pian San Giacomo. There, you can either continue on the main road (and do the classical route), or take the bike path (signposted at the beginning) that spiders up the right side of the Moesa until Pian San Giacomo. Do it only if you are still fresh! The 5 km detour is much steeper, rarely below 9%, on narrow village roads (not much space for a car and a bike together, but they were almost free ... read more

Photos (3)

Passo del San Bernardino
Passo del San Bernardino
Passo del San Bernardino
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Reviews (3)

5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
maxrol20
1 y 5.0
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Italian. Show original

The variant up to the hamlets of Mesocco takes away traffic and adds interest.

La variante su per le frazioni di Mesocco toglie traffico e aggiunge interesse. Forse perfino più bella della via classica.

Dashboard
jeshu
1 y 4.0
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

Up to and including Darba, the road climbs gradually but is not really challenging yet. From Darba, you can follow the cycle route to avoid the main road for 4 km. As indicated, this route does have some steep sections, but you won't be steep from here. The plus point of this route is that it is a narrow road where no or hardly any cars'll come, so you can meander quietly uphill. This is a lot more fun than cycling on the busier main highway (despite the somewhat more pleasant percentages there). From Breita you rejoin the main road, after which you climb nicely and gradually through a lot of pine forest with quite a few pleasant hairpins. In the short descent to San Bernardino that follows, you can get something to eat and drink before conquering the last part of the pass. Here it is a bit quieter in terms of cars (the main road goes through a tunnel under the pass). With quite a few hairpin bends again through an alpine environment, you eventually emerge at the top of a lake, where you can take a breather and enjoy the fresh mountain air.

Tot en met Darba gaat de weg geleidelijk omhoog maar is het nog niet echt een uitdaging. Vanaf Darba kun je de fietsroute volgen om 4 km lang de grote weg te ontwijken. Zoals aangegeven heeft deze route wel wat steile stukken, maar je zult hier niet steil van achterover slaan. Pluspunt van deze route is dat het een smal weggetje is waar geen of nauwelijks auto's komen, dus je kunt rustig naar boven slingeren. Dit is een stuk leuker dan over de drukkere grote autoweg fietsen (ondanks de wat aangenamere percentages daar). Vanaf Breita kom je weer op de grote weg uit, waarna je mooi geleidelijk verder klimt door veel naaldbos met aardig wat aangename haarspeldbochten. In de korte afdaling naar San Bernardino die volgt kun je even wat eten en drinken om het laatste deel van de pas te bedwingen. Hier is het wat rustiger qua auto's (de doorgaande weg gaat door een tunnel onder de pas door). Met weer flink wat haarspeldbochten door een alpiene omgeving kom je uiteindelijk boven bij een meer uit, waar je kunt uithijgen en genieten van de frisse berglucht.

Passo del San Bernardino
Dashboard
LorenzoGbr
1 y 4.0

The climb is very similar to the classical route from the South, but it deviates from to Mesocco to Pian San Giacomo. There, you can either continue on the main road (and do the classical route), or take the bike path (signposted at the beginning) that spiders up the right side of the Moesa until Pian San Giacomo. Do it only if you are still fresh! The 5 km detour is much steeper, rarely below 9%, on narrow village roads (not much space for a car and a bike together, but they were almost free of traffic, and a bit shaded).
The altitude chart and even my Garmin are not accurate.

Dashboard

Climbing times

5 mph 03:55:08
7 mph 02:46:28
9 mph 02:09:43
12 mph 01:37:28

Road surface condition

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Based on 1 vote
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Traffic

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Based on 1 vote
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Frequently Asked Questions

Passo del San Bernardino can be cycled from 3 sides. Passo del San Bernardino from Lostallo via Andergia is the most popular side, but the summit can also be reached via Passo del San Bernardino from Lostallo & Passo del San Bernardino from Hinterrhein.

You don't need special gearing for Passo del San Bernardino. The slope isn't long or steep enough to require much shifting down. You can conquer this climb on power alone. However, a compact gearing system with a smallest front chainring of 34 and largest rear sprocket of 28 or 30 is always nice if you enjoy cycling uphill. This helps maintain a smooth cadence.

Passo del San Bernardino 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.

Passo del San Bernardino is 19.5 mi long.

The average gradient of Passo del San Bernardino is 5.4%.

Passo del San Bernardino has a steepest segment with an average gradient of 11.2%.

The summit of Passo del San Bernardino is at 6775 ft.

At a slow pace of 5 mph, it takes about 03:55:08 to climb Passo del San Bernardino. At 7 mph the time is 02:46:28, and at 9 mph 02:09:43. For the fastest cyclists, 01:37:28 is an achievable time.

Passo del San Bernardino is located in the region Grisons in Switzerland.

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