Passo del Sempione from Preglia is a climb in the region Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. It is 22.8 mi long and bridges 5571 ft of vertical ascent with an average gradient of 4.6%, resulting in a difficulty score of 1053. The top of the ascent is located at 6578 ft above sea level. Climbfinder users shared 4 reviews of this climb and uploaded 24 photos.
Road names: Strada Statale 33 del Sempione & 9S
2.0 by FaustoThis is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch.Granted, the views are beautiful and the road surface is super. But there is one thing I would not recommend this side of the Simplon pass: the traffic. The Simplon Pass is a kind of highway over the mountains, with an extremely wide road with large gradual bends, where cars and motorcycles are not prevented from doing their utmost. As a cyclist quite irritating, although I never felt unsafe. Also: there are many very long tunnels that you cannot avoid. Sometimes you have to toil for hundreds of... read more
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I finally did it today (Sunday morning), I was the only cyclist going up from the Italian side (I wonder why?).
Good points: the tarmac (wide shoulder to cycle into), the contrast between the gloomy empty villages, the steep canyons and the open landscape at the top (larches zone!), the coffee/bakery at Simplon Dorf (unassuming from the outside, a paradise inside), very manageable gradients if you're fresh, snow walls at the Hospiz. The bad points: endless stream of motorbikes and cars, endless tunnels, many road works with a dedicated traffic light for cyclist... that went green at the same time as the green in the opposite direction. And huge crosswinds while going down towards Brig (almost lost it on the Ganterbrücke). Won't do it again from this side, not with a loaded bike.
It is not the very best climb in terms of traffic, but at several places you can deviate from the busy motorway and cycle wonderfully quietly through villages like Varzo and Simplon-Dorf. At the Engigalerie too, you can cycle above/parallel to the motorway and at the Altes Spittel in particular, the detour allows you to enjoy the beautiful scenery. In the descent, the main road is recommended: perfect asphalt and few turns make it a very fine descent where you have to brake relatively little and thus are not bothered much by traffic.
Het is qua verkeer niet de allerbeste beklimming, maar op verschillende plaatsen kun je van de drukke autoweg afwijken en fiets je heerlijk rustig door dorpjes als Varzo en Simplon-Dorf. Ook bij de Engigalerie kun je boven/parallel aan de autoweg fietsen en met name bij de Altes Spittel zorgt de detour ervoor dat je van de prachtige omgeving kunt genieten. In de afdaling is de hoofdweg aan te raden: perfect asfalt en weinig bochten maken het een hele fijne afdaling waar je relatief weinig hoeft te remmen en dus ook niet veel last van het verkeer hebt.
Precisely in order to at least avoid heavy vehicle traffic, we drove up on Sunday from Domodossola, which I highly recommend. The traffic itself would not create any major problems, the road is generally wide, but the presence of many tunnels, even if windowed, creates a sometimes deafening and very very annoying noise on the ascent, while on the descent it is hardly noticeable; the presence of three construction sites in tunnels increases the feeling of discomfort. At the top, the panorama, clouds permitting, is suggestive. The descent, on the other hand, is stupendous for the quality of the surface and the gradient, which is never extreme. Great care must be taken in the tunnel sections, which are poorly or poorly lit. But it is a Cima Coppi and "must be done".
Proprio per evitare almeno il traffico dei mezzi pesanti siamo saliti di domenica da Domodossola, cosa che consiglio caldamente. Il traffico in se non creerebbe grossi problemi, la strada è generalmente larga, ma la presenza di molte gallerie, pur se finestrate, crea un rumore a volte assordante e molto molto fastidioso in salita, mentre in discesa non si avverte quasi; la presenza di tre cantieri in galleria aumenta la sensazione di disagio. In cima il panorama, nuvole permettendo, è suggestivo. La discesa invece è stupenda per qualità del fondo e pendenza, mai estrema. Molta attenzione nei tratti di galleria, poco o male illuminate. Ma è una Cima Coppi e "va fatta".
Granted, the views are beautiful and the road surface is super. But there is one thing I would not recommend this side of the Simplon pass: the traffic. The Simplon Pass is a kind of highway over the mountains, with an extremely wide road with large gradual bends, where cars and motorcycles are not prevented from doing their utmost. As a cyclist quite irritating, although I never felt unsafe. Also: there are many very long tunnels that you cannot avoid. Sometimes you have to toil for hundreds of meters in a concrete construction while the traffic rushes past you; not the best Swiss cycling mountain.
There is no alternative road on this side (except briefly at Simplon Dorf), but there is on the other side. If you can choose, climb the Simplon Pass from Brig. This ascent as descent seems super to me: nice and fast and beautiful.
Toegegeven, het uitzicht is er mooi en het wegdek is super. Maar er is één ding waardoor ik deze zijde van de Simplonpas niet zou aanraden: het verkeer. De Simplonpas is een soort snelweg over de bergen, met een enorm brede weg met grote geleidelijke bochten, waar auto's en motors niks wordt belet om de snelheid er goed in te houden. Als fietser vrij irritant, al heb ik me nooit onveilig gevoeld. Ook: er zijn veel erg lange tunnels die je niet kunt ontwijken. Soms zit je honderden meters te zwoegen in een betonnen constructie terwijl het verkeer langs je raast; niet de beste Zwitserse wielrennersberg dus.
Er is aan deze zijde geen alternatieve weg (behalve eventjes bij Simplon Dorf), maar aan de andere zijde wel. Als je dus kunt kiezen, beklim de Simplonpas dan vanuit Brig. Deze beklimming als afdaling lijkt me namelijk super: lekker snel en mooi.
| 5 mph | 04:35:26 |
| 7 mph | 03:15:00 |
| 9 mph | 02:31:58 |
| 12 mph | 01:54:10 |
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