Pass Umbrail/Giogo di Sta. Maria/Wormser Joch |
 |
Height |
Climbing height |
2501m
Sign 2503m |
1126m (Sta. Maria im Müstair)
1284m (Bórmio) |
| Difficulty |
Beauty |
| 4 (5) |
3-4 (5) |
| How to get there |
This is the highest paved pass in Switzerland. The road starts in the remote Swiss corner of Sta. Maria im Müstair (1375m) and it serves as a short cut to Bórmio in Italy, but as there is no big reason for needing to go to Bórmio for the Swiss people, it is very little used and is still not paved in its entirety (but it may soon be paved all t way as they apparently pave a bit every now and then when they get money over for it). It is steep up from Sta. Maria in a seemingly endless series of hairpins in the woods. Thereafter you reach the upper valley with the short and flatter unpaved (but good) stretch, before the final again steep ascent to the pass starts. Far up to your left you will soon see the Stelvio pass. The pass is also the border between Switzerland and Italy. From Bórmio (1217m) it is the same steep road that goes to the Stelvio pass, but you will avoid the last 10 or so hairpins up to the Stelvio by turning off to Switzerland at the junction. |
| Other comments |
There may not be much water to be found along the climb on either side. There are not any good views above Sta. Maria in the woods, but it is quite beautiful higher up toward the pass. This is the lonely and quiet approach to the Stelvio pass. Sta. Maria has a decent youth hostel which I guess is the only affordable accomodation around there. They do have some really good (expensive) restaurants, but it s not a super expensive place and you could probably find cheap accomodation and food in the nearby villages. Bórmio in Italy has plenty of hotels, but not many good restaurants for some reason.
[CH-GR-2501;o577] |