Timmelsjoch (North side)
Distance: 12.34 km
Elevation Gain: 737 m
Elevation Loss: 172 m
Difficulty:
675 (Moderate)
FIETS Index: 3.44 FIETS
Avg Grade: 5.49 %
Max cat climb: 2
Min elevation: 1851 m
Max elevation: 2477 m
Ride Category:
Climb
The road over the Timmelsjoch, the Passo del Rombo to Italians, climbs from the Ötztal in Tyrol, Austria, to the border with South Tyrol, Italy, at 2,474 m. The Austrian side is a private toll road, built from 1955 and opened on 7 July 1959. It is also the last descent of the Ötztaler Radmarathon: after the final climb up the Italian side, riders cross the top and come down this road to the finish in Sölden.
This ride starts in Obergurgl, Austria’s highest parish village. In 1931 Auguste Piccard, after setting an altitude record, landed his balloon on the Gurgl glacier above Obergurgl and was brought down to the village. Hochgurgl, the next village up, was built after the road opened. Its toll station collects the toll for both sides of the pass. From there the road climbs in hairpins towards the top, which has marked the border between Austria and Italy since 1920. The ride ends just below the pass.
