The hardest hikes in Italy, by the numbers
Of the 262 trails in Italy in our dataset, 117 (45 percent) rate strenuous or very strenuous on the gain-and-distance scale we use and run 3 to 30 miles with at least 1,500 ft of climb; these are the 25 with the highest rating.
Via Alpina Red R117 leads with 7,348 ft of gain over 15.9 miles, 462 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 46 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 3,024 to 7,348 ft and distance from 7.1 miles to 19.2 miles; the median gain is 4,982 ft and the median distance 11.7 miles.
21 of the 25 are out-and-back routes; the rest are loop (1) or point-to-point (3).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Via Alpina Red R117 | 15.9 | 7,348 | 462 | 46% | 4,122 to 8,176 | 483.4 | |
| 2 | Via Alpina Red R33 | 14.9 | 6,652 | 446 | 47% | 3,057 to 7,980 | 445.2 | |
| 3 | Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail 11 | 13.5 | 6,431 | 476 | 83% | 4,049 to 8,516 | 416.7 | |
| 4 | Via Alpina Red R29 | 18.6 | 4,547 | 244 | 46% | 3,557 to 7,794 | 411.3 | |
| 5 | Valnontey Valley TourGran Paradiso NP | 14.7 | 5,695 | 387 | 71% | 5,451 to 8,753 | 409.2 | |
| 6 | Via Alpina Red R137 | 10.5 | 6,930 | 660 | 53% | 4,386 to 8,168 | 381.5 | |
| 7 | Via Alpina Red R32 | 11.4 | 6,339 | 556 | 44% | 4,423 to 9,219 | 380.2 | |
| 8 | Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail 12 | 13 | 5,187 | 399 | 47% | 4,991 to 8,147 | 367.2 | |
| 9 | Strada militare del Colle dell'Assietta | 19.2 | 3,347 | 174 | 19% | 6,323 to 8,333 | 358.5 | |
| 10 | GTA: Usseglio - Il Truc | 11.7 | 4,994 | 427 | 40% | 4,206 to 8,376 | 341.8 | |
| 11 | Tour Monte Rosa tappa 4 | 9.8 | 5,642 | 576 | 56% | 3,882 to 9,444 | 332.5 | |
| 12 | Trail AV5TLiguria | 14.2 | 3,634 | 256 | 49% | 112 to 2,511 | 321.3 | |
| 13 | Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail 10 | 10.3 | 4,982 | 484 | 47% | 3,992 to 8,022 | 320.4 | |
| 14 | Via Alpina Red R118 | 12 | 4,230 | 353 | 36% | 2,493 to 5,769 | 318.6 | |
| 15 | Via Alpina Yellow B19 | 11.5 | 4,397 | 382 | 37% | 3,131 to 7,004 | 318 | |
| 16 | Via Alpina Yellow B20 | 14.9 | 3,353 | 225 | 37% | 4,831 to 7,744 | 316.1 | |
| 17 | Via Alpina Yellow B21 | 10.8 | 4,519 | 418 | 51% | 4,030 to 7,654 | 312.4 | |
| 18 | Alta Via del Monte Baldo | 11.3 | 4,267 | 378 | 37% | 4,371 to 7,029 | 310.5 | |
| 19 | Monte Bisbino-Monte Generoso | 15.8 | 3,024 | 191 | 23% | 3,180 to 5,340 | 309.1 | |
| 20 | Via Alpina Red R119 | 10.3 | 4,625 | 449 | 56% | 5,483 to 8,760 | 308.7 | |
| 21 | Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail 30 | 7.1 | 6,543 | 922 | 2,844 to 6,573 | 304.8 | ||
| 22 | Tour Monte Rosa tappa 5 | 11.7 | 3,958 | 338 | 53% | 3,993 to 8,916 | 304.3 | |
| 23 | Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail 14 | 11.3 | 4,081 | 361 | 53% | 5,053 to 7,767 | 303.7 | |
| 24 | Dolomites World Heritage Geotrail 9 | 8.9 | 5,093 | 572 | 70% | 5,746 to 8,586 | 301.1 | |
| 25 | GTA: Rifugio Rivetti - Santuario San Giovanni | 7.6 | 5,809 | 764 | 74% | 2,883 to 7,264 | 297.1 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band strenuous (150 to 200) or very strenuous (200 and over), 3 to 30 miles, at least 1,500 ft of gain, ordered by rating desc, gain per mile desc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Italy" here means the 262 trails in Italy in our dataset, not every trail in Italy.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Via Alpina Red R117.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other countries in our dataset.