- Ascent
- 919 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 14.9 km
- max. gradient
- 12 %
- ø gradient
- 6.2 %
The Passo del Tonale from Fucine is an HC climb of 14.9 km with 919 m of elevation gain at an average of 6.2 %, peaking at 12 %. The road climbs out of the Val di Sole to 1,884 m and drops on the far side into the Valcamonica to Ponte di Legno. The gradient stays moderate throughout, and the last three kilometres ease off.
Climb Goals: Pure Data Edition DIN A1 poster
Bucket-List Print: Passo del Tonale
The Passo del Tonale links the Val di Sole in Trentino with the Valcamonica in Lombardy. From Fucine it is 14.9 kilometres and 919 metres of climbing up to 1,884 metres. It is one of the more moderate climbs in our list, with no long steep sections. The road climbs at a steady pace, and the top comes gently.
The Passo del Tonale at a glance
The key figures from Fucine: category HC, 14.9 km, 919 m of climbing, 6.2 % on average and 12 % at its steepest. The road leaves Fucine in the Val di Sole and climbs to the pass at 1,884 m. On the far side it drops into the Valcamonica to Ponte di Legno. In our list the Tonale belongs to the Eastern Alps region.
The climb from Fucine
The first three kilometres sit at a moderate 5.5 %, then comes the steepest kilometre of the climb at a little over 9 %. After it the road calms down again to 4 to 6 %. The middle part alternates between around 6 and just over 8 %. There are no flat pieces, but no long steep walls either.
About four kilometres before the top two kilometres of around 8 % bring one more short push. After that the gradient drops steadily: the last three kilometres get gentler and gentler, the final one at around 3 %. So the Tonale ends with a relaxed roll to the pass. Anyone who paced the middle part well arrives with something left.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
With 919 m of climbing and a 6.2 % average the Tonale sits in the lower middle of the list: 78 climbs have more elevation gain, 68 are steeper on average. At 1,884 m the finishing point is in the middle, 59 climbs end higher. The Gotthard Pass via the Tremola has almost the same climbing at 923 m, but is steeper at 7 %. On the far side the Tonale ends in Ponte di Legno, where the other side of the Passo di Gavia also comes down.
Practical tips
The Tonale needs no special gearing, a compact chainset is plenty for the 12 % peak. It fits well into a longer ride, for example together with other passes in the area. At 1,884 m it is noticeably cooler than in the valley, so bring a jacket for the descent. Heading west you drop to Ponte di Legno, the way back to Fucine is the same road.
