- Ascent
- 818 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 11.7 km
- max. gradient
- 14 %
- ø gradient
- 7 %
The Vršič Pass (Prelaz Vršič) from Kranjska Gora is a category 1 climb of 11.7 km with 818 m of elevation gain at an average of 7 %, peaking at 14 %. The road crosses the Julian Alps to 1,611 m and drops on the south side into the Trenta valley. It starts flat and gets steeper and steeper towards the pass.
The Vršič Pass (Prelaz Vršič) leads from Kranjska Gora over the Julian Alps into the Trenta valley. From Kranjska Gora it is 11.7 kilometres and 818 metres of climbing up to 1,611 metres. The climb builds up slowly: flat at the start, steep at the end. Spread your effort right and this profile holds few surprises.
The Vršič Pass at a glance
The key figures from Kranjska Gora: category 1, 11.7 km, 818 m of climbing, 7 % on average and 14 % at its steepest. The road leaves Kranjska Gora heading south and climbs to the pass at 1,611 m. On the south side it drops into the Trenta valley. In our list the Vršič belongs to the Eastern Alps region.
The climb from Kranjska Gora
The first three kilometres are little more than a warm up, with the gradient staying below 4 %. Then it slowly picks up: around kilometres four and five it sits at about 5 %, and from roughly kilometre six onwards between 7 and 9 %. The transition is gradual, there is no single break in the profile.
The last six kilometres are the hardest, and no section there drops below 7 %. It gets steepest right at the end: the last two kilometres both go above 10 %. Go too fast lower down and you pay for it exactly here. There is no flat run out before the pass.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
With 818 m of climbing and 11.7 km the Vršič is one of the shorter climbs in the list, 81 have more elevation gain. In the Eastern Alps only one of the 28 climbs has less. The peak is a different matter: only 36 climbs have a higher maximum gradient than its 14 %. The Passo di Giau has a similar format, with 10.7 km and 780 m of climbing at 7.3 %.
Practical tips
On the Vršič a calm start pays off: the first kilometres are there to warm up, not to set the pace. For the steep kilometres at the end a compact gearing with a large sprocket makes sense. On the south side the road drops into the Trenta valley, and the way back to Kranjska Gora is the same road. At 1,611 m the pass is moderately high, a windproof layer for the descent is usually enough.
