16.8
PDI
9.4 mi
DISTANCE
2,991 ft
GAINED
6 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
Page Contributor(s): Ties Arts, Brussum, Netherlands
INTRO
Cars have been racing up this road since at least 1902. The Coppa della Consuma, a motor hill climb from Pontassieve toward the pass, and a version of it still closes the road for a weekend each spring as a round of the Italian hill climb championship. On a bike it's a much calmer thing: the long, steady climb that takes the old Florence-Casentino road over the Apennine ridge.
It's 15.1 km (9.4 mi) from Le Palaie, just outside Pontassieve, to Consuma at 1037 m (3402 ft), gaining 912 m (2991 ft) at 6.0%. It never gets steep - the hardest kilometer is 8.8% - but the first 8 km past Diacceto to Borselli hold a solid 6 to 8.5%, and you'll be climbing for an hour or more. After Borselli the grade drops to 3-5% for several kilometers, kicks back to about 8% around km 12, and eases over the last stretch into Consuma. The view opens out as you go, from the vineyards and olives around Pontassieve to oak and conifer forest near the top.
The Giro d'Italia went over the Consuma from Pontassieve on its 2017 stage from Florence to Bagno di Romagna. At the top, the hamlet is known for its schiacciata, a Tuscan flatbread, and stopping for a piece is the right way to finish.
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 first 8 km are the steady core of the climb: 6.6%, 7.5%, 6.1%, 8.0%, 6.8%, 5.2%, 8.5% and 8.5% per kilometer from Le Palaie past Diacceto to Borselli. The steepest kilometer is 8.8% and the steepest 5 km average 7.4%.
From Borselli the grade relaxes: 3.1%, 5.0%, 3.5% and 5.0% over the next 4 km. Km 12-13 kicks up again to 8.3%, and the last 2 km into Consuma ease to 4-5%.
Overall: 15.1 km (9.4 mi), 912 m (2991 ft) of climbing, 6.0% average.
Roadway: The SR70 is a regional main road, two lanes and paved throughout with generally good asphalt on recent Street View imagery (2022 on the lower half, July 2026 near the top). The hairpins at Camperiti, near the bottom, were reshaped and resurfaced in 2019. Once a year, usually in spring, the road is closed for the Coppa della Consuma hill climb between the SP83 junction near the bottom and the Vallombrosa turn-off in the upper part of the climb - watch for the closure notices if you're riding between March and May. Snow is possible at the top from late autumn to early spring.
Traffic: This is the main road between Florence and the Casentino, so it's never empty: expect steady car traffic and, on fine weekends, plenty of motorcycles.
Parking: Park in Pontassieve, or skip the car: Pontassieve has a train station on the line from Florence, so you can arrive by regional train and ride the short way to Le Palaie (start on the map).
Gear: Nothing here goes much past 8%, so a standard compact is plenty. The descent is long and fast, about 900 m back to the valley, and the top is often several degrees cooler than Florence - a jacket in the back pocket earns its keep.
Provisions: Pontassieve has everything; after that, don't count on much until the top. Consuma has bars and taverns - get a slice of schiacciata before you turn around.
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.
Pontassieve, in the Chianti Rufina wine country, is the natural base, close enough to Florence to stay in the city and take the train out. In Diacceto, a few kilometers up the climb, the small parish church of San Lorenzo holds a terracotta Madonna and Child attributed to Giovanni della Robbia.
Near the top, the road to Vallombrosa branches off, and the abbey and its forest make a good detour on the way back. Over the pass, the Casentino opens up: our Monte Secchieta (East) climbs to the Pratomagno ridge from Strada in Casentino, and Passo della Calla starts from Stia at the head of the valley.
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