01
Getting there
Bormio is the sane base — 2 hours from Milan on the SS38, fuel up in the valley because the pass has none.
02
Where I slept
Rifugio rooms in Bormio run 55–70 € with breakfast. Book ahead in August; the town fills for the passes.
03
Riding experience
Second gear, engine braking, and let the sport bikes past. The northern side is the famous one, the Umbrail on the Swiss side is emptier and just as good.
04
The vibe
A pilgrimage road. Half the people at the top came to photograph the hairpins, not to ride them. Go early and it is yours.
05
What it cost
Fuel 1.90 €/l, room 55–70 €, coffee at the summit 3.50 €. Budget 90 € for the day if you sleep in Bormio.
Notes
The summit café takes cards now. It did not two years ago, and I remember riding down to Bormio for cash.
What happened
- 07:40Left Bormio in fog, rode out of it at the fourth hairpin
- 09:15Chain needed lube at the top — the cold makes it obvious
- 11:20Two coaches on the descent, lost fifteen minutes behind them