Alpe di Neggia - Vira Gambarogno

I climbed Alpe di Neggia on a hot summer evening in early July, 2011. It was a scorching climb out of Vira on the swiss lakeside rivera and I very nearly gave up and checked into one of the smart hotels with a view on the way. I couldn''t believe how steep the start was. I agree with the honorable Claudio above, that even a 39/26 is not enough! I persisted, however, and luckily soon found a water fountain and shade in the form of the thickly foliaged wayside chestnut trees. The climb went on and on, and I ran out of steam and actually had to stop a few times to recover. At that point the sun was going down and I couldn''t wait to get out of the trees to see the view. The road felt claustrophobic and frighteningly steep as I battled off the saddle upward. Finally the mirage restaurant at the top appeared,and I ended up eating and spending the night there. It is on a popular hiking route to Monte Tamaro and is actually quite good accommodation if you do not mind the baying hunting hounds. In the morning I was rewarded with a spectacular view and a fantastic descent into Italy and down to the lake again.

My personal climb rating:

Fantastic climb, beautiful scenery, last 3-4 KM are pretty tough with a 39/25. The resteraunt at the top is a mirage, really good apple cake.

My personal climb rating:

I climbed Alpe di Neggia on a Wednesday so there was almost no traffic. The view on the Lago Maggiore is just stunning and this ride is highly recommendable.