Travel guide to the top of Chaschauna Pass
Pass Chaschauna-Passo di Cassana is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.698m (8,851ft) above sea level, located on the border of Italy and Switzerland. It's one of the highest roads of the country.
Where is Pass Chaschauna-Passo di Cassana?
The pass links the Province of Sondrio in the Lombardy region of northern Italy and the Maloja Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
Can I drive to Pass Chaschauna-Passo di Cassana?
The road to the summit is totally unpaved. A 4x4 vehicle is required. However, it is closed to private traffic. Bike only. The road is extremely steep, hitting a 30% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps with steep hairpin bends. You have to be very careful in the first part of the descent, as the path is very steep and it is very easy to throw a few stones on the road below.
Is Pass Chaschauna-Passo di Cassana open?
Set high in the Alps, between the Stelvio National Park and the Swiss National Park, the road is totally impassable in winters, from September through June. Snowfields are possible into summer months on high-level sections.
When was the road to Pass Chaschauna-Passo di Cassana built?
Near the summit, on the Italian side, is a popular mountain hut known as Rifugio Cassana, a former barracks from World War I. The road to the summit is an old military road built by the military engineers in 1912 to give access the WWI military barracks at the summit.
Pic: Paolo Magnano