The Stelvio Pass | Gravel Health

Italy · Alps · GR Canton, Switzerland

The hardest day Kevin has ever ridden — 2,760 metres up, 48 hairpins, and one of the most famous roads in cycling, and not even the only named pass of the day.

The Passo dello Stelvio needs no introduction in cycling circles: 48 numbered hairpins on the Bormio side, a regular feature of the Giro d'Italia, and often the race's highest point — the "Cima Coppi," named for Fausto Coppi. Kevin rode it on 18 August 2013, "a great day out with the lads," and the summit sign photos, his own Garmin, and a hug with a riding companion at the top all confirm it directly — this isn't a database entry, it's a ride that actually happened.

The full photo set from that day tells a bigger story than "one famous climb," though: real signposted altitude markers put Punt la Drossa (1,706m), the Pass dal Fuorn / Ofen Pass (2,149m) and the Umbrail Pass (2,503m) all in the same 18 August day as Stelvio itself — four named passes, not one, inside that 109km/3,027m total.

Route data (from Strava): 109.3km, 3,027m of climbing in one day, max grade 26.5% — Stelvio was one climb inside a much bigger Alpine loop, not the whole ride. The summit sign confirms the altitude directly: 2,760m.

Kevin's own verdict, direct: this was the hardest day he has ever ridden — four passes and over 3,000m of climbing in a single day. It's the single biggest climbing total of any ride on this site.

Four passes in one day

Punt la Drossa 1706m altitude sign in the Swiss Alps near the Stelvio route — Punt la Drossa, 1,706m — the first named waypoint of the day.

Kevin riding in an orange Mr Feelgood cycling jersey on the road up the Pass dal Fuorn, Switzerland — On the road up — the "Mr. Feelgood" team kit gets a proper outing on this one.

Pass dal Fuorn 2149m altitude sign, the Ofen Pass in the Swiss National Park — The Pass dal Fuorn (Ofen Pass), 2,149m — the second pass of the day, through the Swiss National Park.

The Passo dello Stelvio Cima Coppi summit sign at 2760 metres — The sign at the top of the third pass — "Passo dello Stelvio, Cima Coppi, m. 2760." No need to take anyone's word for the altitude.

Aerial view of the famous hairpin switchbacks of the Stelvio Pass road — The view back down the switchbacks — 48 numbered hairpins on the Bormio side, one of the most photographed roads in cycling.

Kevin riding up the Stelvio Pass with a support motorbike alongside — On the climb itself — busy enough on the day that a photo/support motorbike was working the road.

Kevin riding the hairpin switchbacks of the Stelvio Pass in cycling kit — Working through the hairpins.

Kevin at the summit of the Stelvio Pass, 2760 metres — At the top — 2,760m done.

Kevin celebrating with a riding companion at the summit of the Stelvio Pass — "The lads" — whoever rode this one with Kevin gets a mention here once confirmed.

Hotel Ristorante Perego and the row of cafes and shops at the top of the Stelvio Pass — The scene at the top — Hotel Ristorante Perego, Birra Stelvio signs, and a genuine crowd of riders and motorbikes at the pass.

Kevin's Garmin bike computer showing 1868 calories and 3 hours 45 minutes elapsed time — The Garmin at a stop — 1,868 calories and 3:45:21 on the clock by this point in the day.

Umbrail Pass 2503m altitude sign with Kevin and his bike, cows grazing in the background — The fourth pass — Umbrail, 2,503m, the highest paved pass entirely within Switzerland. Cows grazing right at the summit.

Kevin and two riding companions in orange Mr Feelgood team jerseys at a cafe table after the ride — The reward — a café stop with the "Mr. Feelgood" team, homemade cake on the sign behind them.

The Stelvio Pass, on the border of Lombardy and South Tyrol.

📝 Kevin — needs your input

Who's the riding companion in the summit hug photo, and who are the other two in the "Mr. Feelgood" jerseys at the café — worth naming?
Confirm the order of the four passes — Punt la Drossa → Pass dal Fuorn → Stelvio → Umbrail, going by the photo sequence, but worth checking against your own memory of the route
Any coffee/food stop worth naming beyond the café in the last photo?
Was this the same Alps trip as the nearby Zernez (19 Aug) and Davos (17 Aug) rides — different days, but worth linking as one multi-day trip and maybe building those as their own pages