Climbing deep into the Ötztal Alps above Feichten im Kaunertal, this glacier road is one of the highest paved cycling routes in Austria, ending at a permanent icefield well above 2,700 m.
A long climb into high-altitude terrain
From Feichten im Kaunertal, it’s 25.9 km for 1,469 m of elevation gain, averaging 5.7% with steeper sections reaching close to 10%. The road winds through more than 20 hairpin bends before topping out at 2,750 m, near the Kaunertal glacier.
The fifth-highest paved road in the Alps
Built to serve the ski area on the Weißseespitze glacier, the road is a toll route for all vehicles, cyclists included, though at a reduced rate. It isn’t part of a Grand Tour circuit, but its scale and scenery have made it a bucket-list target for cyclotourists, and it hosts its own amateur hillclimb events each year.
Getting the ride right
The combination of length and altitude means fatigue builds gradually, and the thinner air near the top can make the final kilometres feel noticeably harder than the gradient alone suggests — pace accordingly.
When to go
June to September — the road only opens once winter snow has been cleared from the pass, and conditions near the glacier can turn cold even in midsummer.
Good to know
Feichten im Kaunertal, the starting village, sits well up the valley already, making this one of the more accessible ways to reach true high-mountain terrain without a lengthy approach ride.
