An especially interesting subgroup of passes in the alps are
border passes between Austria and Italy. The border
generally runs along one of the main ridges of the central
alps. These border crossings have a turbulent history
spanning two world war. But this region is also a single
cultural entity, Tirol, today politically divided into
south, north and east. The Klammjoch is fairly good dirt
road between South Tyrol and East Tyrol, that some people
also cross on road bikes. It has an extensive stretch above
treeline.
photo
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01.(00.0km, 856m) START-END EAST: Huben
02.(05.5km, 1088m) Hopfgarten iD
03.(17.0km, 1310m) Schwarzach
04.(21.0km,1387m) St Jakob iD
05.(26.9km, 1569m) stay right, left goes to
Staller Sattel
06.(42.0km, 2288m) TOP: Klammjoch
07.(50.7km, 1571m) START-END EAST ALTERNATE: Rain
in Faufers /Riva di Tures
08.(61.1km, 882m) turn left in Sand in Taufers /
Campo Tures
09.(73.5km, 822m) St Georgen / San Giorgio
10.(75.9km, 834m) START-END EAST: Bruneck /
Brunico |

Approaches
From East. Sankt Jakob is a good starting
point for a ride up Klammjoch. But the the very bottom of
this approach is really much lower, and common to Staller
Sattel. At the bottom of the Defereggental lies Huben at
819m. Looking for an even lower point to start the day, one
could also choose Lienz at 673m. From Sankt Jakob the road to
the pass heads east, paralleled on the other side of the river
by a partly unpaved bike path. The junction to Klammjoch is
signed as Oberhaus. A narrow paved road that can only fit cars
in one direction (but is open in two directions) climbs to the
(guest house) Oberhaus Alpengasthof - great care required
because of the narrow road and rare, unexpected cars. Peaks
above 3000m, still covered in snow in June appear between the
trees. Since there is practically no traffic, the background of
the rushing mountain stream is the loudest noise. From Oberhaus
the sharp peaks flanking the Klammjoch become visible for the
first time as backdrop to the Schwarzachtal (tal=valley). Some
up and down through the trees gives way to steady climbing,
leading to a large cow herding complex at treeline, the
Jagdhausalm. Along the way are several ingenious cow gates, that
only consist of a flexible stick of sorts. You can cycle right
through it without stopping, but cows are extremely unlikely to
cross these barriers. At the Jagdhausalm are two conventional
gates as well as stone walls and old picturesque alm buildings.
From here the route climbs sharply to what looks like could be a
summit. But not so fast, this false summit is a good vantage
point onto another old alm (old herding vilage), but there
still is more climbing to be done. Steep V shaped canyons merge
into a green, yet treeless valley. Finally a few switchbacks
climb to the highest visible point, and then its still another
100ft or so to the unmanned border crossing at the summit. The
entire unpaved part of the route is extremely smooth. The upper
part is crossed by wooden drainage channels every few hundred
feet. They are easy to ride across and provide such good
drainage, that even after a day of non stop rain the route can
be relatively dry the next day.

From West. (also described upwards) A steep paved
climb precedes the arrival at Rain. This village lies up on the
northern flank of the valley, so climbing up to it provides a
grand panorama of the mountains surrounding Grosser Lengstein
(3236m) and Dreieckspitze (3031m) to the south. While turning
the switchback at the church, you can't help but notice the
churchyard, that must be in one of the most beautiful locations
for such a thing in the world, at least on a sunny day. All the
crosses are stylistically similar to provide a coherent image.
The narrow paved road aims straight ahead for a group of sharp
peaks. Passing a parking lot, the route turns smooth dirt. Later
passing an old alm that looks like a village from the middle
ages, the road eventually turns south a bit, and then engages in
dozens of switchbacks that work their way up the pass.

Dayride:
Klammjoch x2: St Jakob iD <>
Klammjoch <> 2 miles below Rain-Taufers: 42
miles with 5900ft of climbing in 5:3 hours (VDO MC1.0
m4:9.6.24)
Notes: The Osttirol tourist bureaus also are happy
to give away a map with cycling routes, containing
amongst others the "around the Riesenferner
Group" day ride which goes over Klammjoch and
Stallersattel and measures 104km and 2200m climbing,
when starting in Sankt Jakob.
The last day with different start and end points on
this Extended Tour is on page: Kartitscher
Sattel |
Klammjoch
Highest Point: 2288m
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Eastern Approach: |
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drop
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from Huben (856m)
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1432m
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42.0km
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~50m
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from Sankt Jakob iD (1387m)
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901m
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21.0km
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~50m
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Western Approach: |
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from Bruneck (834m)
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1454m
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33.9km
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from St Georgen (822m)
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1466m
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31.5km
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from Rain in Taufers (1571m)
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717m
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8.7km
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back to Cycling
Passes in Europe
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