A wild narrow road to Santuari de la Mare de Déu del Mont
Santuari de la Mare de Déu del Mont is a mountain sanctuary at an elevation of 1.123m (3,684ft) above the sea level, located in the Alta Garrotxa natural region, in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It’s one of the toughest climbs of the area. Gradients in the last 2.5km hit an average of 9.2% with pitches up to 14%.
The summit lies in the Serra del Mont mountain range. The road is asphalted, but pretty narrow. Drive with care as this is a mountain road with dropoffs. You might want to take this into consideration if you have passengers that don't like heights. It's very intense because there are no guard rails at the edge. The road is open throughout the year depending on the weather. Short term closures are not uncommon in winter, but rarely last more than a few days.
Its many twists, turns and narrows can pose a challenge to even the most experienced drivers. The road is not easy, though. Up, down, right, left all the time. The road surface is in good condition throughout, the road does become narrow towards the top. Driving at night, or in poor visibility, is not recommended for drivers unfamiliar with the road. At the summit there’s a bar and a restaurant.
The journey offers an exhilarating driving experience, with superb views. The view unfolds as you climb until you are above the clouds. An incredible journey, an unforgettable experience. This is definitely one road trip that you want to record with lots of photographs. The road is a delight to drive, with every kind of twist and turn. There are spectacular views over the whole region as you get higher and you get a real sense of achievement from conquering it. Once you’re at the top, don’t miss the 360 views. Enjoy the rewarding magnificent views of the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean.
The road to the summit is pretty steep and the gradient steepens just towards the end with a couple of 14% switchbacks. Starting from GIV-5235 road, at 634m above the sea level, the ascent is 6.8 km long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 489 meters. The average gradient is 7.19%.
Road suggested by: Ross Hallard