Ossana (959 m)

Peio Fonti

Cycling uphill, you can divide the climb into two sections. The first that leads into Val di Pejo all the way to the village of Cogolo, and the second that goes up to Pejo Fonti. Two stretches that are quite different: the first is a comfortable ride while the second is a tad more challenging. The climb starts out from Ossana, site of the Manor of San Michele built on a rocky outcrop. A few metres and you are in Val di Pejo, where the road climbs evenly. Val di Pejo is located in the Stelvio National Park, that includes the entire Ortles-Cevedale massif. After bordering the villages of Cellentino and Celledizzo on the left, the ride continues for 6 kilometres on a regular paved road that allows you to keep a steady pace, while the 3644 metres of Monte Vioz appear in the background.  The slope is minimal and allows you to admire a typical Alpine valley, with its rustic villages, stables and barns. Once arrived in Cogolo there are only 3 and a half kilometres left to go, but they are the most challenging, with peaks of 12 percent. You pedal uphill on a series of hairpin turns that lead up to 1393 metres above sea level.  At the end of the climb, suddenly, Pejo Fonti opens onto an Alpine basin of striking beauty. A well-known spa among the most important in Europe, this place also has many ski resorts and is the starting point for mountaineering excursions. In 2010 it was a stage finish of the Giro d’Italia, won by Frenchman Damien Monier.