Passo dell'Umbrail - Sta Maria

I climbed this pass on a cool september morning with my friend and cycling mentor, big Al Pittar on his new carbon Ridley. We started early from the cyclist friendly hotel Stelvio in Santa Maria, and immediately began counting corners. I lost count but if you include the top part of the Stelvio there must be over 20 switchbacks to climb. The Umbrail is a beautiful pass with a steady gradient and a delightful valley in the middle. They were working on the road surface so it should be pristine now. We passed a herd of cattle and a road sweeper cleaning up after them. Apart from a white Porsche we saw very little traffic. After what seemed like no time at all we were on the top of the Umbrail which is rather austere and overshadowed by its big sister Stelvio. After a short break we naturally continued on up to climb this colossal monument and to continue our loop. I thoroughly recommend the Umbrail pass.

My personal climb rating: