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Volcano climbs

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Mount Etna rising above the surrounding landscape in Sicily
Etna in Sicily. The selected road approaches reach Rifugio Sapienza on the southern side.

Ride into volcanic landscapes on Tenerife, Sicily, mainland Italy and in the French Massif Central. The five saved profiles follow roads on Teide, Etna, Vesuvius and Puy Mary; their endpoints are road destinations rather than crater or mountain summits.

Compare the climbs

5 selected routes, from 10.7 km to 48.3 km, with 534 m to 2,457 m of elevation gain.

Scenery and traffic highlights are based on published ratings.

Climb and approachDistanceElevation gainAverage gradient
Teide from Los Cristianos48.3 km2,457 m4.7%
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Nicolosi18.7 km1,179 m6.3%
Etna / Rifugio Sapienza from Paternò via Ragalna25.9 km1,638 m6.3%
Vesuvio from Ercolano10.7 km837 m7.8%
Pas de Peyrol / Puy Mary from Dienne10.9 km534 m4.9%

Two roads to Rifugio Sapienza

The Nicolosi and Paternò via Ragalna approaches both reach Etna’s southern Rifugio Sapienza area. They start at different places and have different lengths and elevation totals. Neither profile is an ascent to Etna’s active summit craters.

Puy Mary ends at Pas de Peyrol

The selected road climbs from Dienne to Pas de Peyrol. Puy Mary’s summit is reached on foot from the pass, so its walking ascent is not included in the cycling measurements.

Different islands, separate rides

Teide is on Tenerife, Etna on Sicily and Vesuvius near Naples; Puy Mary is in Cantal. Treat the list as a comparison across destinations. Volcanic and mountain access rules can change, so check the relevant authority when planning the actual ride.

Average gradient describes the recorded route as a whole. Open a climb to see its elevation profile and how the gradient changes along the road.

Further reading

Teide volcano and the Roques de García rock formations in Tenerife

Tenerife climbs

5 climbs · Two Teide approaches, the Masca hairpins and western climbs to Santiago and Erjos.

Mountain roads and green volcanic ridges seen from Puy Mary

Cantal climbs

6 climbs · Three roads to Pas de Peyrol, both sides of Pertus and the climb to Col de Serre.

The volcanic landscape of the Teide area on Tenerife

1,500 m+ climbs

4 climbs · At least 1,500 m of elevation gain in each selected profile.