It’s regarded as one of the most iconic motorcycling routes in the world, but it left our man Sam Girvan somewhat underwhelmed when he ticked it off his bucket list last summer…
Before we start, please bear in mind that this article consists of one man’s experience (not opinion) on riding the Stelvio Pass. I was riding my 2019 Ducati 950s Multistrada in September 2019. It was warm(ish) and the roads were dry, but let me cut to the chase… The Stelvio Pass is rubbish!
Now, I realise that is probably a very unpopular statement, but hear me out.
Don’t get me wrong, the pass is draped by some of Switzerland’s most stunning snow-capped scenery. I’m not disputing that. Nor has my belligerent wisdom been forged by the countless YouTube videos of people crashing their motorbikes on it. Not even the overly expensive refreshments at the top have contributed to my negative logic. Indeed I have to admit that all of the ingredients that combine to make this road are some of the finest in the world. If the Stelvio were a restaurant, it would be Michelin starred.
So now you’re thinking, what’s your problem then? Well, there are a few problems really. Let me vent…
The traffic. You know that episode of Top Gear? The one where they take three supercars up a seemingly empty pass to find the ‘greatest driving road in the world’…. Well, it’s not anything like that.
Without the benefit of getting the road closed to make a TV programme, in reality it’s full of motorcyclists, cars, cyclists, and even coaches. If you get stuck behind one of them, fully laden with tourists, then you’re stuffed. More importantly, every driver and rider’s roadcraft and abilities are incredibly varied. As some of the corners are so tight, many seem to like to use the whole road, as in, your side too! Some of the corners are blind, because of the high walls that support the next corner. At some point, on a right-hand corner, you will meet somebody head-on. No word of a lie, I encountered a Harley-Davidson, two side-by-side cyclists, a Mitsubishi Shogun towing a trailer, and a flipping coach full of tourists. All in one ascent! If you have been lucky enough to get a clear run up the Stelvio Pass, then you’re a fortunate person indeed.
Then there are the cambers. If you are riding a large bike and going downhill, chances are that at some point you are going to almost certainly turn in too early and hit the inside of the corner and basically, drop off a two-foot kerb. It really doesn’t matter if you’re the world’s greatest rider, ever in the history of the earth, because at some point there will be a factor that you haven’t calculated that will come in to play and inevitably thrust you into this situation. Even Sir Stirling Moss went off the side of it in the 1990s! I saw so many cars bottoming out, it wasn’t funny. I was caught short a couple of times but was saved by the Multistrada’s long-travel suspension. If you’re on a full-on sports bike you may end up needing a new face, among other things. It’s not known as one of the world’s most dangerous roads for nothing.
It’s overrated. What did I just say? Yep, I stand by that. Sure there are switchbacks after switchbacks, and the scenery is beautiful. Most people go up the northern side (that’s the heavily photographed iconic side) and then go back down the same way. However, if you go over the top and onto the south side, then you will be greeted with a faster and wider curved pass, which will really get your tail wagging. Seriously, it is way better in my experience, and there are many other passes in the Alps that trump the Stelvio too. Apart from the B500 in Germany’s Black Forest that is. Don’t get me started on that one…!
On reflection, I guess it isn’t the actual road’s fault at all. It’s a feat of engineering and its popularity is understandable. It’s us damn people, I guess. Which obviously I was one of. Go figure.
What is the Stelvio Pass?
Constructed between 1820 and 1825 by the Austrian empire, the winding Alpen road connects Austria with Lombardy, which was part of the empire until 1859, when it became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
The road has changed little in that time and with its 75 hairpins and 1.9km climb, the route has become iconic and a ‘must do’ challenge for cyclists, motorcyclists and supercar drivers, who flock to the road in their thousands each summer.
