25.3
PDI
11.1 mi
DISTANCE
4,019 ft
GAINED
6.7 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
Known locally as the "Salto del Cane" - the Dog's Leap - this is the road the Giro d'Italia's 100th edition climbed in 2017, when Jan Polanc soloed clear to win the stage at the race's first summit finish that year. The Salita Salto del Cane climbs 17.9 km (11.1 mi) up Mount Etna's southern flank from Nicolosi, gaining 1225 m (4,019 ft) at a 6.7% average grade to reach Rifugio Sapienza at 1,919 m (6,296 ft).
The road leaves Nicolosi through vineyards and quickly strips away any sense of a normal mountain climb: vegetation thins to almost nothing within a few kilometers, and for most of the ascent it's just pavement, black volcanic rock, and the mountain itself. A short flat-to-downhill stretch about a third of the way up is the closest thing to a rest on the entire route; otherwise the grade holds in the 7-8% range with occasional double-digit ramps, an unusually sustained effort for a climb of this length.
Rifugio Sapienza itself is more parking lot and souvenir shops than scenic summit, but it's the trailhead for the cable car and hiking routes up toward Etna's summit craters, and the views back down over the lava fields are the real payoff. Etna remains an active volcano with an ongoing eruptive phase - activity has stayed concentrated at the summit craters well above this route, and the road and refuge have generally stayed open through it, but access can be restricted on short notice, so check current conditions before you go.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. The Salto del Cane averages 6.7% over 17.9 km (11.1 mi), but the effort is more sustained than that number suggests - outside of a brief flat-to-downhill stretch roughly a third of the way up, the grade rarely dips much below 6-7% for the rest of the climb. The steepest 100 yards reaches 14.2%, though the steepest full mile still averages a demanding 9.1%.
There's no single crux here - the difficulty is duration, not one brutal ramp. The lower kilometers climb steadily through vineyards and scrub before the vegetation disappears almost entirely, and the final kilometers to Rifugio Sapienza hold a long, grinding, fairly even grade across open lava fields with nothing to break the rhythm.
Roadway: Paved the entire way from Nicolosi to Rifugio Sapienza, and resurfaced in sections for the Giro d'Italia's 2017 visit, though the surface still varies from smooth to rough depending on the stretch. Etna remains an active volcano with an ongoing eruptive phase, generally concentrated at the summit craters well above this route - the road and refuge have typically stayed open through it, but access can be restricted on short notice by local authorities based on guidance from the INGV Etna Observatory. Check current conditions before you go.
Traffic: Generally light to moderate. Tour buses, jeep tours, and day-trippers headed for Rifugio Sapienza's cable car add some traffic near the top, especially at midday, but the lower and middle sections see relatively little.
Parking: Free street parking is available around Nicolosi's town center, near the start of the climb.
This is a long, sustained effort - a compact crank with a wide-range cassette (30-32 teeth or more) is the standard recommendation, useful both for the sustained 7-8% mid-climb grades and the occasional steeper ramp.
There's almost nothing along the route itself - no fountains, no cafes, virtually no buildings for most of the climb - so fill up in Nicolosi before you start.
Sun and wind exposure are real concerns once you're above the vegetation line; sunscreen and a windproof layer for the descent are worth carrying even on a hot day, since temperatures at 1,900 m can be dramatically cooler and windier than at the base.
At Rifugio Sapienza itself there are bars, restaurants, and a souvenir shop if you need to refuel before heading back down, but nothing at all in between - plan accordingly.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Nicolosi makes its living from Etna's passing tourist trade, and several of its buildings are built from the same dark basalt rock the mountain produces - worth a look before or after the ride. It's a practical, unpretentious base with hotels and restaurants, closer to the mountain than staying down in Catania.
Catania itself - about 15 km away, with its own international airport - makes a good base for combining this climb with Etna's other paved approaches out of Zafferana Etnea, Belpasso, and Biancavilla, or for exploring the city's baroque center and street markets on a rest day.
Ride between late spring and early fall; snow can close the upper road in winter, and Etna's summit weather can turn quickly even in summer, so check conditions before you commit to the full climb. See other routes up Etna's flanks with our Routes in the Area tool.
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golmstead
This is probably the easiest of the 3 or 4 approaches to Mont Ventoux. I admit to chickening out when offered the traditional approach. The climb from Sault to Chalet Reynard was really nice. We rode through the forest and it wasn't too hard at all. When we got to Chalet Reynard we joined the traditional approach to the summit. There's not a lot to see on this stretch of road. It's a lot like Alpe d'Huez in that it's filled with people like me, people who are check off a bucket list climb. Once I got my photo we descended back to Sault, then continued descending through a beautiful canyon on road D942 to Villes-sur-Auzon for lunch. The road from Sault to Villes-su-Auzon is about 30 miles of gentle descending through the most amazing canyon I think I've ever see. You barely need to touch you brakes the whole time. Just take it all in. A great day on the bike.
