28.3
PDI
12.5 mi
DISTANCE
4,486 ft
GAINED
6.6 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
Page Contributor(s): Helmuth Dekkers, Netherlands.
INTRO
Simplonpass (Passo del Sempione in Italian) climbs 20.1 km (12.5 mi) out of Naters, near Brig in Switzerland's Valais, gaining 1,367 m (4,486 ft) at an average grade of 6.6% on the way to the pass at roughly 2,000 m (6,559 ft), where the road continues down into Italy toward Domodossola.
The climb front-loads its difficulty: the first 12 km average a genuine 7%, with the steepest kilometer in that stretch at 8.5% and the steepest 2 km at 8.3%, before the final 3.5 km ease off to a much milder 3.2% into the pass. From Brig, cyclists can also pick up the old pre-motorway road for roughly the first 7 km, a quieter alternative that rejoins the main road further up - it crosses the valley on a distinctive concrete bridge, the Ganterbrücke, and passes through several avalanche galleries near the top.
Simplon has been a route over the Alps since antiquity, used for salt and other trade for centuries before Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the road widened in the early 1800s to move artillery between France and Italy. That strategic importance is part of why, unlike most high Alpine passes, Simplon stays open and plowed through the winter rather than closing with the first snow - one of just a handful of Swiss passes at this elevation you can realistically ride year-round, conditions permitting. It's also seen real racing history, crossed by the Tour de Suisse roughly twenty times since 1949 and by the Giro d'Italia on several occasions, including 1963 and 1985.
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. Simplonpass runs 20.1 km (12.5 mi) from Naters to the pass, climbing 1,367 m (4,486 ft) at an average grade of 6.6%.
The climb is front-loaded: the first 12 km average right around 7%, with the steepest kilometer in that stretch reaching 8.5% and the steepest 2 km averaging 8.3%. The final 3.5 km relax considerably, averaging just 3.2% into the pass - a rare high Alpine climb that gets easier, not harder, near the top.
Looking at the steepest windows overall, the steepest quarter-mile averages 16.5% and the steepest mile 9.7%, but those numbers are outliers early in the profile rather than representative of the climb as a whole - most of the work here is the sustained 7% opening two-thirds, not one isolated wall.
Roadway: Fully paved and, unusually for a pass at this elevation, kept open and cleared through the winter - Simplonpass is one of the few high Alpine roads in Switzerland that doesn't close for the season, since it's a year-round international route to Italy. From Brig, riders can follow the old pre-motorway road for the first stretch (roughly 7 km) to avoid car traffic before it rejoins the main road; that section crosses the valley on the distinctive concrete Ganterbrücke and passes through a few avalanche galleries higher up. Winter riding is still only for well-equipped, experienced riders - snow, ice, and reduced daylight are real factors even when the road is technically open.
Traffic: Moderate on the main road, since this is a working international route with year-round truck and car traffic; noticeably lighter on the old parallel road out of Brig for the first several kilometers.
Parking: Naters and neighboring Brig both have ample free street parking near the base. Brig is a major Swiss rail hub (mainline trains plus the Glacier Express), making this a workable climb to reach without a car.
Brig and Naters, at the base of the climb, have full-service grocery stores, bike shops, and restaurants - stock up here, since there are only limited services (a hotel/restaurant near the pass) between the base and the summit.
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.
Simplon has been a crossing point over the Alps since antiquity, and its current road owes its width to Napoleon Bonaparte, who had it rebuilt in the early 1800s to move cannons between France and Italy. Brig merchant Kaspar Stockalper had already made the pass profitable two centuries earlier running the salt trade over it - his 17th-century Stockalper Palace, one of the largest private residences ever built in Switzerland, is worth a visit in Brig before or after the ride.
Brig itself is a major rail junction (mainline trains, the Glacier Express, and the Simplon Tunnel line to Italy), so this is one of the more easily car-free climbs in the Valais - fly or train into Brig and you're at the base of the climb.
Since Simplonpass stays open through the winter unlike most of its neighbors, it's worth checking conditions at the summit with our Weather tool before a cold-season attempt - conditions at 2,000 m can differ sharply from the valley floor even when the road itself is clear.
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