Photo: Mountain Summit South Tyrol Italy

The beautiful snow covered mountain near the summit of Passo Valparola in South Tyrol, Italy in Europe.

The summit of the mountain pass of Passo Valparola in South Tyrol, Italy is so close but yet so far. The view of the snow covered mountain peaks at the summit are stunning to view from below but are even more picturesque when you get to the top.A narrow road meanders its way through the Passo Valparola until it reaches the summit amongst snow, trees and wildlife in South Tyrol, Italy. A four wheel drive vehicle is the best option to get to the mountain summit but an even better outdoor activity which is extremely popular on this pass is to climb by bike.There are three different climbs up this mountain to reach the summit and all of them are fairly challenging. One is 17.9 kilometers long in which you gain 987 meters in height, the second is 13.9 kilometers long where you gain 802 meters and the third is 13 kilometers long with a gain of 702 meters.Many of these passes through this mountain region of South Tyrol, Italy are used as practice routes by professional bikers to keep them in shape between major events. ... continue below the picture...

... It is always nicer in the summer than the winter to climb to the summit of this mountain but both seasons have some outstanding scenery of the surrounding countryside.View from near the summit of Passo Valparola, Italy, South Tirol, Europe, Europe 2006.