29.8
PDI
8.6 mi
DISTANCE
3,998 ft
GAINED
8.8 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
Sega di Ala climbs 13.9km from Ala, in Trentino's Vallagarina valley, up onto the Monti Lessini plateau at the Trentino-Veneto border, gaining 1219m at an 8.8% average grade. It's a lesser-known Hors Categorie climb, but riders and pros who've done it rate it right alongside the Mortirolo and Zoncolan for sheer difficulty - Damiano Cunego, who grew up nearby, used it as a training climb, and Vincenzo Nibali won a stage finishing here at the 2013 Giro del Trentino.
The first few kilometers out of Ala are a gentle lead-in through the valley to the hamlet of Sdruzzina - just enough to warm up before the road turns onto the Strada Provinciale dei Monti Lessini and the real climb begins. From there the gradient rarely drops below 10% for several kilometers, with sustained pitches in the 15-18% range and a few ramps touching 20%. It's a narrow, switchback-heavy mountain road the entire way, climbing through forest before breaking out onto the open Lessinia plateau near the top.
Sega di Ala is a tiny plateau hamlet on the Trentino side of the Lessinia border, with mostly-seasonal houses and fewer than ten year-round residents. It's remote enough that a heavy snow year can genuinely cut it off from the rest of Trentino, forcing a long detour through the Veneto side of the mountain. Like the rest of the high Lessinia roads, it closes under snow in the off-season, confirm current conditions before an early or late-season ride.
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 climb averages 8.8% over 13.9 km (8.6 mi), gaining 1,219 m (3,998 ft) from Ala (146 m/480 ft) to the Sega di Ala plateau (1,365 m/4,479 ft). The gradient is heavily front-loaded: the opening quarter-mile averages 15.8% and the first half-mile 15.5%, easing to a still-tough 13.6% by the first mile as the road settles into its main switchback section above Sdruzzina. By 2.5 miles the average is down to 11.0%, and by 5 miles to 10.5%, as the climb transitions from its brutal opening onto more sustained double-digit grades through to the plateau.
There's essentially no easy section on this climb - riders who've done both regularly compare it to the Mortirolo and Zoncolan for how little the road ever lets up.
Roadway: Paved the entire way on the Trentino side, though narrow and patched in places above Sdruzzina - the SP211 (Strada Provinciale dei Monti Lessini) is a genuine single-lane mountain road for most of its length. It's generally well-maintained in season, but like the rest of the high Lessinia plateau it can close under heavy snow in winter, occasionally cutting Sega di Ala off from the Trentino side entirely and forcing a long detour through the Veneto side of the mountain (via Peri and Passo Fittanze) - confirm current conditions before an early- or late-season ride.
Traffic: Light. This is a quiet, lesser-known local road rather than a tourist thoroughfare - expect the occasional local car or delivery vehicle serving the handful of year-round residents and the restaurant at the top, and little else.
Parking: Sega di Ala has informal parking near the small cluster of buildings at the top, and Ala itself has street parking near the valley floor if you'd rather start from the bottom. There's no dedicated trailhead lot at either end - this is a working rural road, not a resort access route.
Provisions: Ristorante Monte Lessini, run by the Trainotti family, sits right at Sega di Ala at the top and is the one reliable stop for food on this climb - there's nothing else along the route once you leave Ala, so fill bottles before you start.
Gear: With sustained pitches in the 15-18% range and ramps touching 20% in the opening kilometers above Sdruzzina, this demands the lowest gearing you have - a compact or sub-compact crank with a wide-range cassette (34x32 or lower) is the practical minimum for most riders. The narrow, patched pavement in the upper switchbacks also rewards a cautious line and slightly wider tires, especially on the descent.
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.
Ala, in the Vallagarina valley, sits along the Adige between Trento and Verona, making it an easy stop if you're touring either the Trentino wine country below or the Lessinia plateau above. Sega di Ala's isolation is part of its appeal for cyclists - it's a serious, quiet alternative to the Dolomites' bigger-name climbs, with a similar level of difficulty and a fraction of the traffic.
Damiano Cunego, who grew up in nearby Cerro Veronese on the Veronese side of Lessinia, has used this climb in his own training, and Vincenzo Nibali won here at the 2013 Giro del Trentino - solid company for a climb most riders have never heard of.
See other climbs nearby with our Routes in the Area tool if you're building a longer Trentino itinerary.
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