Although Alpe Giumello is one of the highest points (almost 1600m above sea level) accessible by paved road around Lago di Como, it’s still an unknown gem. Beginning in Italian style with a coffee in our hands and the sun on our faces, we reluctantly saddle-up and ride with the shoreline towards Bellano. Right at the northern end of this little town we take a turn, away from the water and right into a series of switchbacks.

With every meter the view opens up, and towards the top we see nearby Lago Lugano and the 4000-meter peaks of the Monte Rosa. Arriving at the pass of Alpe Giumello, just 250m shy of the peak, completing a 1330m climb feels good and we decide to treat ourselves to some traditional brasato al vino con polenta (beef and grits) in one of the alpine huts, before descending deeper into the backcountry. Crossing through several small hillside villages on our way back, where again we enjoy switchbacks, bathed in the evening sun and taking in a stunning view across the lake towards Dervio.

The Maloja Pass is the main road connecting the Swiss city of St. Moritz and the Italian municipality of Chiavenna. It therefore suffers from higher traffic compared to alternative mountain passes in the region. Nonetheless, it’s an incredible road to traverse as it offers a stunning change in landscape, and culture.

We depart from Dervio at dawn, leaving the lakeside towards the north. In the shade the air is cool, but as we cross the main river Adda and into the Valtellina valley we are greeted by sunshine and a strong headwind rushing down from the mountains.

After a coffee, a croissant and a quick roll through the cobbled streets of Chiavenna, we continue towards Maloja; passing through several small villages along the road which slowly change in appearance, from typical northern Italian to a more Swiss aesthetic. The road winds and turns into tight switchbacks, and that’s when we hit Maloja Kulm and get a stunning vista back into the valley.

With the sun now at our backs we ride through St. Moritz and south towards our second climb of the day – the Bernina Pass. Only 600m of climbing stand between us and the top, which seems like nothing compared to the 2000m already in our legs. As the sun lowers behind the surrounding peaks and the sky slowly turns crimson, we hurry down the 2000m descent towards Tirano, where we catch the train back to Dervio. A long day in the legs but recovery comes in the form of hot pizza and cold beers.

Turning our attention towards the south, we packed our explorational spirits into our jersey pockets and headed along the lakeshore to Varenna. Here we had a quick look around before boarding the ferry to Bellagio.

From there our main route would begin, eventually bringing us up to Brunate, a small town located right above Como. Riding rolling roads and with the warm sun on our faces really didn‘t make us think of winter as we continued our way along the lakeside. Steadily heading south through Casate, Nesso, Riva and Torno to name a few of the numerous little enclaves along the way, before finally arriving at the city of Como.

Worth a visit just on its own, we decided to have a look around before hitting this day’s comparably smaller climb up to Brunate and its lighthouse located just above. And whilst riding through Como’s little alleyways and piazzas, we every so often caught a glimpse of our goal to the east, high above the city. Being this close, yet so far up meant only one thing – a lot of switchbacks and super steep roads. We quickly stopped for a motivational pizza.

Turn after turn brought us higher up to Brunate, never really breaking free of the buildings and residences. Finishing with several stairs up to the tower left us carrying our bikes to the top, from where the whole area opens-up and one could probably see the Dufour Peak on a good day. With the sun setting fast during these winter days we quickly turned to our descent which brought us through the village of Civiglio, down very fast roads back into Como, from where we took a train home to Dervio.

A maximum 27% gradient and over 300 meters of climbing in just under two kilometres, that is the Muro di Sormano. But riding it turned out to be so much more than just numbers. Escaping the bustling morning traffic in Lecco on the eastern shoreline, a harsh headwind thankfully becomes a tailwind as we direct ourselves towards the town of Asso.

Diverting from the main road into Asso, we experience a wonderfully authentic northern Italian town, with tight cobbled alleyways and cafés on every street corner. We roll on up through Rezzago and Caglio, stopping right before the Muro di Sormano. We mentally prepare ourselves for what’s to come. The ’Wall’ is infamous for its stubbornly steep slopes, and we take a collective deep breath before clipping in and moving on up.

Only a few metres further along and we’re already stood on our pedals, grinding out every bike length. Each metre is generously marked by graffiti – the total height written right onto the road itself. We ride over more art from adoring cycling fans – motivational quotes and the names and times of legends who have raced up here. A drive-through gate at the end indicates the top of this brutal climb, affording us a view over the whole region as we catch our breath.

A fast descent brings us back down towards the north into Nesso, where we snake round switchbacks down to the lake and wind further down towards Bellagio. There we reward ourselves with some aperitivi and watch the sun set on the lake before taking a ferry back to Varenna.

It would feel wrong not to include the famous Madonna del Ghisallo in a guide to riding around Lago di Como. And we decided to make this our final day’s route. Being one of those decisive climbs in the Giro di Lombardia since the race began in 1905, its top is usually heaving with cyclists, all visiting the chapel marking the summit.

Starting with a morning coffee in Bellagio, we made our way up the climb, which starts right outside the city limits and leads with varying gradients south towards Civenna, before the final switchbacks to the top.

From there one can either take the main road down through Asso to Lago di Pusiano or take a detour at Barni as we did. Bringing us further up to the Ristorante la Madonnina di Barni, from where we ride over the eastern branch of Lago di Como to Lecco. Pressing on from there took us down a deep descent into Lasnigo, latching on to the main road to Asso. With the sun on its way down again, we tried to avoid the main highway as much as possible and turned into Civate, passing through quiet streets. This led us to Santuario di San Martino, a church with incredible views of the lake and surrounding mountains – this was a little parting gift at the end before we rode back into Lecco to catch our train.