- Ascent
- 1366 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 17.7 km
- max. gradient
- 18 %
- ø gradient
- 7.7 %
San Pellegrino in Alpe from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is an HC climb of 17.7 km with 1,366 m of elevation gain at an average of 7.7 %, peaking at 18 %. The road climbs out of the Garfagnana to 1,630 m and continues towards the Passo delle Radici. The last three kilometres are the steepest of the whole climb, all above 12 %.
Climb Goals: Pure Data Edition DIN A1 poster
Bucket-List Print: San Pellegrino in Alpe
San Pellegrino in Alpe climbs from the Garfagnana onto the ridge of the northern Apennines. From Castelnuovo di Garfagnana it is 17.7 kilometres and 1,366 metres of climbing up to 1,630 metres. The profile is restless, with steep ramps and short breathers in quick succession. And the hardest part comes right at the end.
San Pellegrino in Alpe at a glance
The key figures from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana: category HC, 17.7 km, 1,366 m of climbing, 7.7 % on average and 18 % at its steepest. The road leaves the Garfagnana and climbs up to San Pellegrino in Alpe at 1,630 m. From there it continues towards the Passo delle Radici. In our list the climb belongs to the Apennines region.
The climb from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana
The first four kilometres or so are moderate, with values between under 2 and 6.5 %. After that the rhythm becomes restless: steep kilometres above 10 % alternate with clearly easier ones at 3 to 4 %. Anyone who likes an even pace will not find one here. Every breather is followed by the next ramp.
The last three kilometres are the steepest of the whole climb, all of them above 12 %. There is no letting up before the top. After more than 14 kilometres already in the legs, this finish is very hard. Save something for it, whatever happens earlier.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
Among the three Apennines climbs in our list San Pellegrino has the steepest average and the highest peak. At 7.7 % only 26 climbs in the whole list are steeper on average, and only twelve have a steeper maximum than its 18 %. It is the shortest of the three Apennines climbs and ends lowest. The Col du Tourmalet has exactly the same 7.7 % average, spread over 18.3 km and 1,401 m of climbing.
Practical tips
For San Pellegrino a compact gearing with a very large sprocket is strongly recommended, above all for the last three kilometres. Pace the restless middle part carefully and keep the breathers for recovery. At 1,630 m it is noticeably cooler than in the Garfagnana, so bring a jacket for the descent. The way back to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is the same road.
