Pennes Pass is a classic Italian road trip

Passo di Pennes (also known as Penser Joch) is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.211m (7,254ft) above the sea level, located in South Tyrol, northern Italy.

The road to the summit is paved. It’s called Strada Statale 508. The pass is 28.9 km long, linking the villages of Rio Bianco (Weißenbach) and Vipiteno (Sterzing). It is the most direct road between Innsbruck and Bolzano and has a maximum grade of 13 percent.

There are 2 routes to reach the summit. Starting from Riobianco, the ascent is 14 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 876 meters. The average percentage is 6.3 %. Starting from Vipiteno, the ascent is 14.5 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 1.263 meters. The average percentage is 8.7 %. There is a restaurant at the summit. Although, it has been widened repeatedly in recent years, the road on the pass is still rather narrow.

 

 

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