October 19, 2026 · 9 min read

15 legendary climbs you can ride on your smart trainer this winter

Winter is a good time to ride up Alpe d'Huez, the Stelvio or the Zoncolan, even when it is dark and wet outside. We have put together 15 legendary climbs from France, Italy, Spain and Austria: each one has a gradient profile, a route map and a climb time calculator on our site, and in WattLog.pro you can ride it free on your smart trainer, with the resistance changing as the gradient does.

Why ride famous climbs on a trainer

A long climb is one of the simplest and most useful sessions you can do at home. An hour of steady riding around threshold or in the tempo zone builds exactly the endurance that is missing in spring, and the changing gradient structures the session for you: an easier stretch to catch your breath, a steep one to work at low cadence.

There is a less physiological reason too. Sitting on a trainer for 90 minutes staring at a power number is hard. It gets much easier when you know there are 3 kilometres to the top and the last one is at 10%. A named goal works better than "an hour in zone 3". And if you are planning a summer trip to the Alps or the Dolomites, winter is when you can learn the profile, practise your pacing and check that your gears are low enough.

Where the numbers come from

Each route follows OpenStreetMap roads from the usual start of the climb to the top, and the heights come from the Copernicus 30 m digital elevation model, smoothed so that bridges and tunnels do not create false jumps. Length, elevation gain and average gradient are calculated from that track, and the maximum gradient is the steepest 200 m stretch, so a single tight hairpin does not inflate it.

The times in this article are for a 75 kg rider on an 8 kg bike, riding at a steady 3.0 W/kg (225 W), with no wind, in a road position. The model rides the profile in 100 m steps and works out the speed for each from the power balance: rolling resistance, air resistance and gravity. It is the same model as the calculator on each climb's page, where you can enter your own power and weight.

France

Alpe d'Huez from Le Bourg-d'Oisans

12.7 km, 1103 m of climbing, 8.7% on average. The first kilometre is the flat valley floor, and after that the gradient hardly drops below 7%. On our track the hardest part is between 10 and 12 km, in the resort itself, where every 500 m averages 12 to 16%. Alpe d'Huez profile and calculator.

Mont Ventoux from Bédoin

21.2 km, 1577 m of climbing, 7.4% on average. The first 4.5 km are a gentle 1 to 6%, which makes them easy to ride too hard. From about 5 km comes a nine-kilometre stretch where almost every 500 m is at 9 to 11%. Ventoux from Bédoin profile and calculator.

Mont Ventoux from Malaucène

21.0 km, 1553 m of climbing, 7.4% on average: almost the same as from Bédoin, but spread differently. This side starts harder, and the toughest part falls between 10 and 13.5 km, where the gradient holds 9 to 11%. Ventoux from Malaucène profile and calculator.

Col du Galibier from Valloire

18.0 km, 1228 m of climbing, 6.8% on average, starting at 1409 m and finishing at 2636 m. The average is pulled down by an almost flat section of about 2 km early on. From 10 km until the last 500 m the gradient holds 7 to 10%: no steep walls, just length and altitude. Galibier profile and calculator.

Col du Tourmalet from Luz-Saint-Sauveur

18.4 km, 1393 m of climbing, 7.5% on average. This is the most even of the French climbs on the list: after an easy first kilometre almost every 500 m is at 6 to 10%, with a single short break (3%) around 9.5 km. Ideal for a steady-power session. Tourmalet profile and calculator.

Italy

Passo dello Stelvio from Prato allo Stelvio

25.1 km, 1842 m of climbing, 7.3% on average: the longest and highest climb here, finishing at 2751 m. The first 11 km are a warm-up with mixed gradients. From 11.5 km the gradient holds 7 to 10% for the next 13 km, practically without a break. Stelvio profile and calculator.

Passo del Mortirolo from Mazzo di Valtellina

11.3 km, 1295 m of climbing, 11.5% on average. There is no warm-up: the second and third 500 m average 15% and 19%, and the steepest 200 m on our track is 23%. It only gets easier, at 6 to 10%, in the last 4 km. Mortirolo profile and calculator.

Passo di Gavia from Ponte di Legno

17.3 km, 1371 m of climbing, 7.9% on average, finishing at 2618 m. The hardest block comes between 6 and 8 km, where 500 m sections at 12% and 14% alternate with 7%, and the steepest 200 m is 18%. After that the road settles at 7 to 9%. Gavia profile and calculator.

Monte Zoncolan from Ovaro

9.8 km, 1182 m of climbing, 12.1% on average: the steepest climb on the list. From 2.5 to 7 km every 500 m is at 14 to 18%, four and a half kilometres averaging around 15.5%. At 3.0 W/kg the average speed drops below 8 km/h. Zoncolan profile and calculator.

Passo Giau from Selva di Cadore

11.2 km, 978 m of climbing, 8.6% on average. After a short dip at 1.5 km the climb never lets up: every 500 m from there to the pass is at 7 to 12%, with no flat spot to recover on. A good test of holding an even pace for an hour. Passo Giau profile and calculator.

Tre Cime di Lavaredo from Misurina

7.4 km, 583 m of climbing, 7.3% on average: the shortest climb on the list. The average is misleading, because there are about 1.5 km of flat and downhill road along the way. Almost all the height comes in the last 3.5 km, where every 500 m is at 10 to 14%. Tre Cime profile and calculator.

Spain

Alto de l'Angliru from La Vega de Riosa

12.4 km, 1257 m of climbing, 10.1% on average. The climb has two halves: the first 5 km are at 4 to 10%, then comes an almost flat kilometre, and from 6 km to the top every 500 m is at 11 to 18%, around 14% on average for six kilometres. Angliru profile and calculator.

Lagos de Covadonga

12.4 km, 919 m of climbing, 6.6% on average. The average looks harmless because the second part has flat and downhill sections, and the final stretch drops down to the lakes. But after a flat start the first 7.5 km average around 10%, with the steepest 500 m at 14%. Covadonga profile and calculator.

Sa Calobra on Mallorca

10.0 km, 679 m of climbing, 6.8% on average, starting almost at sea level. This is the most even climb in the whole list: nearly every 500 m is at 5 to 8%, and the only 10% section comes around 8.5 km. The route map shows why: the road zigzags across the slope. Sa Calobra profile and calculator.

Austria

Großglockner Hochtor from Heiligenblut

15.1 km, 1253 m of climbing, 7.9% on average, finishing at 2510 m. In practice it is two climbs: the first 6 km at 6 to 12%, then about 1.5 km slightly downhill, and from 8 km to the top a block of 7 to 11% averaging over 9%. Großglockner profile and calculator.

How long it takes at 3.0 W/kg

Times for a 75 kg rider on an 8 kg bike, riding at a steady 225 W. On each climb's page you can enter your own power and weight.

One thing the table shows: the Angliru is about half the length of the Stelvio, yet it takes only 43 minutes less. On steep climbs speed drops so much that every kilometre costs far more time.

How to pick a climb for your session

• For a shorter midweek session: Tre Cime di Lavaredo or Sa Calobra, 40 to 50 minutes at 3.0 W/kg. Thanks to its even gradient, Sa Calobra works well as one long tempo or sweet spot interval.
• For a steady-power session: the Tourmalet or Passo Giau. The gradient changes so little that holding a single power number is easy.
• For a long weekend effort: Ventoux (from either side) or the Stelvio, more than an hour and a half of climbing. Plan your drinks and carbohydrates as you would for a real ride.
• For strength and low cadence: the Zoncolan, Mortirolo or Angliru. Before you start, check in your trainer's specifications what maximum gradient it can simulate, and fit the lowest gear you have.

The rule is the same on every climb: start a little below your target power and do not chase speed on the gentle opening. We write more about pacing a long climb in our piece on how to plan your power on Alpe du Zwift, and about how knowing what is left to the top helps in the article on the second attempt at Góra św. Anny and Climb view.

You will find all 15 climbs with profiles, maps and the climb time calculator on our famous climbs page. Pick one, work out your time, then see whether your trainer agrees.

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