Sixty hairpins to 2,757 metres, driven in a car built for exactly this - with a mechanic and support car on call the entire way.
The Stelvio starts gently from Bormio, then stops being gentle. Over 24km and roughly 1,800m of climbing, the road folds back on itself again and again - each hairpin numbered, counting down as you near the summit at 2,757m, the second-highest paved pass in the Alps.
It's a road built for exactly this kind of car: short gearing, a naturally aspirated engine that wants to be worked, and enough visibility out of the cabin to actually place the front wheels through each switchback. We drive it in both directions across two days, staying overnight in Prato allo Stelvio so the descent into Switzerland the following morning isn't rushed.
A mechanic and support vehicle travel with the group throughout - not because these cars are unreliable, but because 60-year-old components deserve a second opinion within reach, not a breakdown recovery number.
Cars are inspected and briefed on arrival. A welcome dinner in town, with route notes for the following morning.
The full climb from Bormio, all 48 hairpins, with regular stops for photography and to let brakes and drivers both cool down. Overnight in Prato allo Stelvio.
A quieter border crossing into the Val Müstair, then on to St. Moritz through the Engadin valley for the evening.
A return route over the Bernina, tracking the railway for part of the descent, before crossing back into Italy and returning to Bormio.
Cars are loaded for transport or driven onward. Breakfast and farewells before an 11am checkout.
5 days, from £3,450pp - mechanic and chase car included throughout.
