29.2
PDI
8.8 mi
DISTANCE
3,927 ft
GAINED
8.5 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
This is the Grosio side of Passo Mortirolo, on the Sondrio (Valtellina) side of the pass. It starts by riding under the SS3B overpass at the northeastern edge of Grosio and climbs 14.2 km (8.8 mi), gaining 1,197 m (3,927 ft) at an 8.5% average grade to the 1,864 m (6,114 ft) summit.
Of Mortirolo's four paved approaches, Grosio is the mildest on paper - "only" 8.5% next to Mazzo di Valtellina's and Edolo's double-digit averages - and it's widely regarded as the most scenic and the quietest, a narrow mountain road with next to no traffic. Seventeen numbered hairpins carry you through the first 6 km at around 8.2%, and the mild average shouldn't lull you: the steepest quarter mile still hits 16.4%. For 2026, the Granfondo Gavia e Mortirolo officially added this Grosio ascent - now branded "Cima Pantani" - to its medium (110 km) route.
Mortirolo's Giro d'Italia legend belongs almost entirely to the Mazzo di Valtellina side, ridden 11 of the pass's 13 Giro appearances, including Marco Pantani's mythic 1994 attack. Edolo has hosted the race twice (1990 and 2017). Grosio has never been climbed as part of the Giro - but it did carry race leaders once: in 2012, the winning breakaway, including Thomas De Gendt, descended this side after cresting the pass from Mazzo.
The Mortirolo-Gavia road network typically reopens after winter closure by late April and closes again with the first serious snow - check Sondrio's road status pages if you're riding in the shoulder season.
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 8.5% average is the mildest of Mortirolo's four approaches, but the profile is still uneven rather than steady. The first 6 km run through 17 numbered hairpins averaging around 8.2%, with the steepest 100 yards touching 21.3% and the steepest quarter mile 16.4% (steepest half mile, 12.8%). A brief descent around km 10 offers a short breather before the final push, and the closing 5 km settle into a gentler grind (steepest 5 km, 9.3%; steepest 10 km, 8.3%). It's a genuinely easier day than Mazzo or Edolo, but "easier" here still means real double-digit ramps early on.
Roadway: Paved the entire way and in excellent condition, on a narrow mountain road for most of its length. Like the rest of the Mortirolo-Gavia road network, it closes with the first serious snowfall and typically reopens by late April - check Sondrio's provincial road status before a shoulder-season trip. The turn onto the climb, under the SS3B overpass off Via Valeriana at the northeast edge of Grosio, is easy to miss - bring a GPS track or map.
Traffic: Very light - this is one of the quietest of Mortirolo's four approaches, and it's sometimes recommended as the descent route when event organizers close the busier Mazzo di Valtellina side to traffic.
Parking: Grosio has ordinary street parking near the climb's start at the SS3B overpass; there's no dedicated cycling lot. Riders combining multiple Mortirolo approaches in one trip typically base themselves in Grosio, Mazzo di Valtellina, or Tirano, all within a few miles of each other in the Valtellina valley.
A standard road bike works fine - the road is paved the entire way - but don't let the mild overall average fool you into leaving your climbing gears at home; the steepest 100 yards still hits 21.3% in the opening hairpins. Several hotels cluster around km 10 if you want to break up a multi-day Mortirolo trip, and the Chiesa della Madonna di Pompei at km 9 is a good landmark for pacing yourself. There's nothing else along the route itself, so fill bottles in Grosio before you start.
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.
For 2026, the Granfondo Gavia e Mortirolo (held July 5) officially added this Grosio ascent - newly branded "Cima Pantani" - to its medium 110 km route, so expect more company on the road around early July than the rest of the year. Tirano, a short drive down the valley, has the fuller range of hotels and restaurants if you're basing a multi-day trip around Mortirolo's different approaches.
With four separate paved routes converging on the same summit, Mortirolo rewards a multi-day visit - our Routes in the Area tool is a good way to see the other three approaches (Mazzo di Valtellina, Edolo, and Tovo) from here.
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