Staller Sattel/Passo Stalle
Staller Sattel/Passo Stalle Height Climbing height
2052m 1233m (Huben); 1379m (Lienz)
1037m (bivio No. 49); 1217m (Bruneck/Brunico)
Difficulty Beauty
North 3 (5); South 3-4 (5) 3-4 (5)
How to get there From the north you are likely to start in Lienz (673m) in Austria and go via Huben (819m) up the long pass road. It is mostly not steep at at all (which is why it is long), but the last kilometers after the last village (Erlsbach (1549m)) are regularly steep. When approaching the height and the Obersee, it is still a little to go to the pass and the border. The road down to Italy is very dangerous because the road is good and narrow. This is especially true if going down against the red light (consider yourself warned)! The red light is on for 45 mins per hour on the Italian side until 11 p.m. when the pass closes for the night. The southern Italian side is a steeper climb starting out not far from Bruneck.
Other comments The valleys leading to the pass are quite nice on both sides, but the pass itself has the best views of the very high mountains to the north (Hochgall is 3436m). It is a very calm pass road with little traffic (for obvious reasons). There is a manned toll both at the pass, but no shop or bar along the stretch of the road that closes at night (the steep part on both sides).
[IT-BZ-2052;o758]