Third longest and easternmost route to Cima Grappa.

Top of Sacrario del Monte Grappa

Rifugio Bassano a cima Grappa to the right

Last segment to the top.

Refugio top of screen; Sacrario to the left.

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Pederobba is a quaint and charming town of about 7,000 (up slightly from its 1871 population of 4,743).  If you are doing it, this is a leg of the Brevetto del Grappa and you receive your Journey Book stamp at Cafe Kiko which is a nice cafe and worthy of breakfast or lunch, depending on the time you arrive.   The roadway from Pederobba to its merge point with Cavaso del Tomba at mile 4.9 / kilometer 7.9 and with Alano at 5.4/8.7 is in excellent condition and surrounded by trees and mountainside (peaceful, but no distant views such as we experience on the northern side). Once we make the ridge line by the Alano merge, there are good views to the south of the towns below (Possagno, Cavaso del Tomba, etc.) and on across the southerly plain towards Venice about 40 miles / 64 km in the distance.  

SP 141 surrounded by trees at lower section 

      Some brief distant views along the way

This is the southeasterly-most route up Monte Grappa, beginning at the right bottom corner of the mountain, looking at it from the Satellite view.  The first few miles of this route are more gradual than the other southerly ascents and there are thus less switchbacks over the initial climb.  Yet no route up Monte Grappa is without some switchbacks and we have, by count of the signs on the way up, 10 in the first 3.5 miles / 5.6 km up Monte Grappa’s southeasterly leg.  

Tornante #10

 Final Tonante of first leg of Pedrobba climb

All 11 routes up Monte Grappa ultimately connect.  Our first merge point is with Cavaso del Tomba which joins Pederobba (enters to our left) at mile 5 / kilometer 8, followed closely by Alano (enters from our right) at mile 5.5 / kilometer 8.85, then Possagno from the left (6.9 / 11.1), then Fietta (left at  8.8 / 14.2), then the dirt and gravel Crespano route crosses our path at Refugio Ardosetta (to our left at 12.8 / 20.6; later joining from the right at mile/km 14.5 / 23.3), next Semonzo  (from left at 13.7 / 22), and finally  .4 miles/.6 km from the top we merge with the northern 3 climbs (Cismon, Caupo and Seren) and Romano d’Ezzelino by turning right onto SP 148.

Around mile 4 / km 6.4 the trees open a bit and we ride along a pleasant narrow road with a mild grade

As with all routes up Monte Grappa, there are monuments and/or remnants of WW I along this route:

WW I Memorial at mile/km 4.6/7.4  

    View from the memorial                           

 Around mile 12/km 19.3 we encounter 4 short and old (WWI vintage) tunnels (Google Street View) which often have a group of mules in or near them.  The road is very narrow and with a sheer drop off to the left as we ride for a mile/1.6 km along this segment - there are exceptional views along this stretch back to the Pian Dela Bala (a gnarly narrow military inspired walking trail along a sheer cliff).

Unique stretch of road on the routes from Fietta, Posagno, Cavaso del Tomba and Pederobba.

Military Road along sheer cliff to the left and through 3 short but cool tunnels.

One of the 4 tunnels around mile 10/km 16   

Road along tunnel section of climb.

Sacrario at the top of the screen.

All 11 Monte Grappa routes end at the Rifugio Bassano a Cima Grappa which is a cafe with many outside chairs and tables and is frequented by many cyclists each day - this is a very popular Italian cycling destination.  The Rifugio is just below the Sacrario del Monte Grappa which is a monumental burial site for approximately 20,000 of the Italian and Austrian soldiers who died in battle on the hillsides of Monte Grappa during World War I.  

Monte Grappa WW I history museum at the top 

Tunnels to WW I gun batteries

Ossuary - Sacrario del Monte Grappa

The Sacrario del Monte Grappa and la Madonna del Grappa (chapel on top of the Sacrario).

On our 8 trips up Monte Grappa, there were often as not more cyclists than motorists at the top.    

Photos clockwise from top right:  8-27-16 Romano d’Ezzelino + Caupo;

8-28-16 Seren + Cismon; 8-29-16 Semonzo + Possagno

Photos clockwise from top right:  8-30-16 Alano + Fietta;

8-31-16 Pederobba + Cavaso del Tomba; 9-1-16 Crespano

Monte Grappa - one of the great climbing areas in the world.

Giro History