The Highest Road in the Alps: Cycling the Ötztaler Glacier Road

Thinking of Alpine road cycling, the big names immediately come to mind — Stelvio, Tourmalet, Galibier. But there’s another, lesser-known yet equally spectacular climb: the Ötztaler Gletscherstraße above Sölden in Tyrol. This 15-kilometre ascent doesn’t serve as a classic mountain pass — it’s a dead-end road leading only to the glaciers. Perhaps that’s why the road builders didn’t bother easing the gradient, leaving us with a real challenge to tackle — and on this late-September day, the conditions couldn’t be more perfect.

09/2025

Sölden: The Heart of the Ötztal Valley

Sölden lies at 1,350 metres above sea level in Tyrol and is best known as a world-class ski resort full of luxury hotels and restaurants. Thanks to its two glaciers — Rettenbach and Tiefenbach — the ski season starts here in autumn and continues even when cyclists are already riding in shorts down in the valley. In summer, the same lifts serve mountain bikers, hikers, and climbers, keeping Sölden lively year-round. Fun fact: ten years ago, the James Bond movie Spectre was filmed here, commemorated today by the Elements 007 Museum on the mountain

Ötztaler Glacier Road by the Numbers

Built in 1972, the glacier road ranks among the highest paved roads in Austria. It stretches almost 15 kilometres from the centre of Sölden up to around 2,830 metres. The climb gains over 1,450 vertical metres with an average gradient close to 11%, placing it firmly among the toughest ascents in road cycling. Lower sections boast smooth new asphalt, but higher up the surface shows scars from winter weather and grooming machines, leaving it slightly bumpy.

At the Rettenbach mid-station, where there’s a restaurant and a ski lift, the road forks. To the right (west), two switchbacks climb past a small chapel to a wide parking lot at 2,798 m, often labeled as the “highest Alpine road.” That’s not quite accurate — the left fork leads into the 1,750-metre Rosi-Mittermaier Tunnel, which emerges at 2,830 metres, making this spot the highest stretch of asphalt in the Alps, right at the end of Europe’s highest tunnel. Beyond it lies another parking area by the Tiefenbach Glacier cable car. The tunnel is lit, but bringing your own lights is still highly recommended.

From the upper edge of Sölden (1,400 m), the climb to the glacier measures 14.5 km with 1,450 metres of elevation gain. For the full “grand tour,” start all the way down by the Inn River and visit both glacier parking lots — Tiefenbach and Rettenbach — for a 120-kilometre ride with 2,450 metres of climbing.

Into the Land of Ice

To enjoy every vertical metre, we start from the very bottom — the valley by the Inn River at 660 metres — aiming for over two vertical kilometres of climbing. It’s the most beautiful day of September, warm and sunny, though a spare layer is still a must. Mine ends up wrapped inelegantly around the handlebars, just in case.

We’re staying in the small village of Haiming, home to a rafting and canyoning centre, and not much else — except a short via ferrata and a small climbing crag right behind the house. From Haiming we ride past Ötztal-Bahnhof, where the Ötztal Valley begins and the river Ötztaler Ache joins the Inn. At the roundabout, we turn off the B171 onto road B186 — the start of our climb.

The first few kilometres are gentle, perfect for warming up before the serious gradients above Sölden.

We pass through the village of Ötz, whose name will sound familiar thanks to Ötzi, the famous ice mummy found in 1991 high in these mountains. Ötz offers accommodations, restaurants, a climbing area, a cable car into the ski area, and a side road to the 2,000-metre Kühtai Pass. The route of the legendary Ötztaler Radmarathon also passes here — a brutal 230-kilometre course across four passes with 5,500 metres of climbing that even crosses into Italy. So really, what we’re doing today is just a “short ride.”

We continue through Tumpen, Umhausen, and other small villages — traffic is moderate, cyclists few. Along the way we pass several via ferratas, including two by waterfalls and one right above the road. The Jubiläums-Klettersteig "Lehner Wasserfall", with its E-graded sections, looks particularly fierce when the water is high.

Ten Percent and Up

Reaching Sölden, we ride past downhill bikers heading for the lifts. We stop for a quick coffee at a gas station — the last one before the real climbing begins.

 The gradient kicks up sharply after the final houses. This is where the glacier road starts, and from here on, it never really eases. Kilometres pass slowly, while the altitude rises fast. The only traffic consists of a group of Ferrari enthusiasts — at least they’re impossible to miss, unlike silent EVs.

After passing under the Gaislachkogel cable car twice and climbing four switchbacks, we descend slightly to the toll booth — guarded, amusingly, by a herd of cows. Ahead lies a long ramp leading to the Rettenbach Glacier. The gradient rarely dips below double digits.

The Gletscherexpress cable car ends at 2,650 m, where the road splits. We first head right to the car park with a monument marking the “highest Alpine road.” At 2,798 m, it’s not the true high point, but worth a photo stop. We descend three turns to the ski area — empty, silent, and closed. The grey-blue glacier shimmers in the afternoon light, the lake surface barely rippling.

It’s still warm enough for short sleeves — incredible for late September — though the tunnel ahead quickly chills that enthusiasm. The 1,750-metre tunnel is well lit, with dripping water from the ceiling and noticeably colder air. Fortunately, it climbs gently upward. At the far end lies the highest asphalt in the Alps: 2,830 metres. No sign, no arch, just the end of the tunnel.

The road continues a short distance down to the Tiefenbach Glacier parking area, deserted except for a few construction machines and a solar-panel project taking shape on the slope.

The climb is over; now comes the long descent. With the restaurant closed for preseason, we snack from our own supplies, then layer up — every piece of clothing and handlebar-wrapped garment included — and head down carefully.

 The upper section is cracked and rough from frost and snow groomers, but lower down the asphalt turns perfect. Still, I cling to the brakes the whole way. As we lose altitude, the temperature rises again. We stop at the same gas station we used earlier, just in time to watch a futuristic car — straight out of a Bond movie — pull up. The driver climbs out, puzzled why anyone would pedal uphill voluntarily.

Since we started late and climbed slowly, the descent ends just as darkness falls.

What else?

Beyond the glacier road, several other classic climbs await in the area. From Sölden, a side valley leads to Vent, a great base for summer and winter mountain activities. Or continue toward the Timmelsjoch (Passo Rombo, 2,474 m) — a scenic toll road with a famous motorcycle museum.