21.3
PDI
7.7 mi
DISTANCE
3,154 ft
GAINED
7.8 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
Monte San Simeone is a 12.3 km (7.7 mi) climb from the lakeside village of Interneppo, in Bordano, up a narrow paved road to the high plateau below the 1505 m (4,938 ft) summit. It gains 961 m (3,154 ft) at a 7.8% average grade, and for most of the way it holds a steady 8-9% with no real flat section to recover on.
What sets it apart is the road itself: a long run of tight hairpins, several of them threading short tunnels, with the Tagliamento valley dropping away below. The surface is a patchwork of asphalt and concrete, and the road is narrow and often has no edge markings, so it rewards riders who like a quiet, slightly rough mountain road over a polished alpine pass.
The road was closed for repairs until early August 2023 and reopened with newly laid asphalt and a concrete ramp past hairpin 17. At the top, the church of San Simeone has stood on the plateau since at least the 13th century; the summit proper is a hike or mountain-bike ride beyond the end of the pavement.
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. Our route covers 12.3 km (7.7 mi) from 227 m (744 ft) to 1,187 m (3,893 ft), a gain of 961 m (3,154 ft) at 7.8% on average. The first 2 km (1.2 mi) are the gentlest at roughly 6%, after which the road settles into a steady 8-9% for most of the climb, with a slightly easier stretch around 7-9 km (4.3-5.6 mi) before the final ramps.
The steepest 100 yards (91 m) reach 11.3%, the steepest quarter-mile (0.4 km) averages 10.3%, and the steepest 1 km (0.6 mi) averages 9.5%. Over the hardest 5 km (3.1 mi) the average is 8.9%, so there is little relief once the climb gets going. The final 300 m (0.2 mi) flatten out near the top of the paved road.
Roadway: The road is paved the whole way but varies a lot: the asphalt sections can be full of holes and quite bumpy, while the concrete sections are generally the smoother, more pleasant surface. About nine short tunnels cut through the main run of hairpins. It is narrow, often has no edge markings, and has only simple barriers on the hairpins. Repairs kept it closed until early August 2023, when it reopened with new asphalt and a concrete ramp after hairpin 17. The descent is the rougher part, so take it with care, and check for local closure notices before you go since works have shut the road before.
Traffic: The road is open to motor vehicles, so a car can appear at any time, but riders report very little traffic. Combined with the narrow width and blind hairpins, stay alert on the descent.
Parking: Our route starts on Via Prussia in Interneppo, the lakeside village of Bordano, so park in the village and keep residents' driveways clear. Up top, the paved road ends near the San Simeone chapel, where a parking area is used by paragliders. Cavazzo Lake's shoreline cycle path starts at Interneppo, which makes a good easy spin before or after the climb.
A compact crankset or similar low gearing is worth having for 12.3 km (7.7 mi) of steady 8-9%, and wider tires help on the rough asphalt and concrete, especially on the way down. A front light is a good idea for the short tunnels on the hairpins.
There is no reliable resupply on the mountain, so carry two bottles and some food from the start. Bordano has only a few places to eat, so stock up in Venzone (5 km / 3.1 mi away) or Gemona del Friuli (8 km / 5.0 mi) if you need a full shop.
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.
Bordano calls itself the town of butterflies: more than 230 murals have been painted across Bordano and Interneppo since 1996, most with a butterfly theme, and the Casa delle Farfalle museum houses over 400 species in its greenhouses (check that it is open before planning a visit around it). The village was badly hit by the 1976 earthquake, which was centered near Monte San Simeone itself.
Interneppo sits on Lake Cavazzo, the largest natural lake in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with a shoreline cycle path, a panoramic viewpoint, and spots for swimming, sailing and canoeing. Bordano is about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) from the Tagliamento cycle route at Venzone, part of the Alpe Adria network, and Gemona del Friuli, the start town of Stage 20 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia, is 8 km (5.0 mi) away.
The main local festival is held at the San Simeone chapel on the first Sunday of September. Several other short, steep climbs begin within 5-7 km (3.1-4.3 mi) of Bordano, including Cuel di Forchia from Avasinis and Cristo di Forca, and our Routes in the Area tool lists them so you can link two or three into one day.
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