PAGE 12 www. FavoriteRidesAndDestinations. com | ridermagazine. com

FALL 2017 ISSUE 02 / VOL. 02

It isn’ t the highest paved pass in the Alps— that honor belongs to 9,068-foot Col de l’ Iseran in France— but 9,045-foot Stelvio Pass in Italy is certainly more famous( Moto Guzzi named an adventure bike after it, and Alfa Romeo did the same with an SUV). Called Passo dello Stelvio in Italian and Stilfser Joch in German, it crosses the boundary between two Italian provinces less than 700 feet from the Swiss border. Built in 1820-25 by the Austrian Empire, the road climbs more than 6,000 feet from the valley below and includes 75 hairpin corners, 48 of which are on the eastern side shown in this photo. Negotiating all those 180-degree corners on a narrow, twoway road shared with bicyclists, motorists and small RVs makes riding over Stelvio Pass a test of nerve and skill. Ride it in late spring and the road will have less traffic but may also be wet with snowmelt. At the top you’ ll be rewarded with views of glacier-topped mountains and the best bratwurst you’ ll ever eat.

Photo by Greg Drevenstedt