16.8
PDI
11.5 mi
DISTANCE
3,309 ft
GAINED
4.6 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
Piano Battaglia is where Sicily goes skiing - a high karst basin in the Madonie, ringed by beech woods, with the only lifts and ski runs in the western half of the island. Out of season it belongs to walkers, mountain bikers and grazing cattle, and the SP54 from Petralia Sottana is a fine way to get there on a road bike.
It's long rather than steep: 18.4 km (11.4 mi) from the SS120 at 804 m to the plateau at 1655 m (5429 ft), with 1009 m (3,309 ft) of climbing at a 4.6% average. The first 7 km out of town are the most consistent, 6 to 7% up open hillsides with Petralia Sottana's rooftops dropping away behind you. Around Portella di Mandarini the road levels, climbs again to nearly 1400 m, then drops about 70 m to the Pomieri viaducts, so you hand back some height before the last push.
That last push is the best part. The final 5 km, with kilometers up to 8.6%, climb into the beeches under the bare limestone flanks of Monte Mufara, and then the trees open onto the plateau at the foot of Pizzo Carbonara, at 1979 m the highest peak in Sicily after Etna.
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. Piano Battaglia (Petralia Sottana) is 18.4 km (11.4 mi) long and gains 1009 m (3,309 ft) at a 4.6% average, from 804 m (2639 ft) to 1655 m (5429 ft). The net rise is 851 m; the rest is height you lose and climb again.
Km 0-7: 6.4%, 7.2%, 6.4%, 6.1%, 6.9%, 3.7% and 5.5% - steady climbing out of Petralia Sottana.
Km 7-11: a short dip around Portella di Mandarini (-1.6%), then 5.8%, 6.6% and 5.7% to the high point of the middle section, about 1389 m.
Km 11-13: downhill at -6.9% to the Pomieri viaducts, then level.
Km 13-18.4: 8.6%, 5.2%, 7.8% and 7.6%, then 3.7% and 3.0% onto the plateau.
Steepest sections: 100 yd (91 m) at 13.7%; 0.5 km (0.3 mi) at 9.9%; 1 km (0.6 mi) at 9.0%; 2 km (1.2 mi) at 8.4%; 5 km (3.1 mi) at 6.8%; 10 km (6.2 mi) at 5.4%.
Roadway: The SP54 has asphalt throughout. The lower half is narrow, with faded, patched asphalt, no center line and gravel at the edges; from the viaducts up, the road is wider and the surface newer, with a center line. Watch for cattle on the open upper slopes, and expect snow and ice up top through the winter - this is the ski area, so plan on spring to autumn.
Traffic: Light most of the year - local traffic and visitors heading for the plateau. Snowy winter weekends are another story, with cars and coaches coming up for the ski runs.
Parking: Start in Petralia Sottana and roll down to the SS120, or simply start from town. At the top there's plenty of open parking on the plateau by the Rifugio Marini and the ski lifts.
Gear: The gradients are friendly - no full kilometer over 9% - so a standard compact is plenty. Clothing matters more: you finish 850 m above where you started, and in the Madonie you can ride up into a cold band of cloud on a day that's sunny in the valley. Pack a jacket for the long descent.
Provisions: Petralia Sottana has bars and shops, and the town is known for its many public fountains with good water - fill up before you leave. On the plateau, the Rifugio Marini is the place to look for food and drink, but check its hours outside the ski and summer seasons.
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.
Petralia Sottana is the headquarters of the Madonie Park, in Palazzo Pucci Martinez on the main street. The Chiesa Madre stands on a terrace above the valley, rebuilt in 1633 with a Gothic-Catalan portal and a white stone bell tower, and the Antonio Collisani civic museum has a geology section on the rocks you've just ridden through. On the first Sunday after 15 August the town dances the Ballo della Cordella through its streets, and the last weekend of October brings an autumn festival of Madonie food.
Piano Battaglia sounds like a battlefield, and the old story is of a fight between Normans and Saracens, but the likelier origin is a woodcutters' contest. Either way, the plateau is the trailhead for walks up Pizzo Carbonara and Monte Mufara. Geraci Siculo, another of our Madonie climbs, starts a short drive east.
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