The pure adventure road to Viderjoch in the Alps
Viderjoch is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.737m (8,979ft) above sea level located on the border of Austria and Switzerland. It's one of the highest roads inEurope.
Where is Viderjoch in the Alps?
The pass links the Swiss canton of Graubünden and the Austrian state of Tyrol. The road to the summit runs from Ischgl (in western Austria’s Paznaun Valley) to Compatsch (a high Alpine village in the Engiadina Bassa/Val Müstair Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden).
Is Viderjoch in the Alps challenging?
It's one of the highest roads of the country. The road to the summit is mostly paved (60%), with the final part totally unpaved and challenging. The road is brutally steep, with a 20-30% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps near the summit. This gradient makes this road one of the most difficult climbs in the world. Starting at Ischgl, the ascent is 13.8 km (8.57 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 1.344 meters. The average gradient is 9.73%. The rest of the road, down to Compatsch in Switzerland, is very steep, but driveable.
Is Viderjoch in the Alps open?
Set high in the Samnaun Alps, this road is usually impassable from late October through late June or early July (depending on snow). South of the pass, the road climbs up to Greitspitz, at 2.876m (9,435ft) above sea level. The views are very nice up at Viderjoch and you can get up to the Greitspitze rather easily and get even better views.
Pic: Marcin Gorski