ロアスキアの峠・トップ15

great view

Highlight positioned incorrectly.

beautiful road interspersed between the Gesso and Vermenagna Valleys.

From the Santuario della Madonna del Colletto there are good views of Monte Gelas, a solitary peak of over 3,000 metres and reminiscent of the highest peaks of the Alps.

I was really looking forward to going up to the Santuario della Madonna del Colletto. I had been to this area several times and had not had the opportunity to go up here. So on the trip through Piedmont in July 2022 I made sure that the planned route passed through here. We went up the western slope, the one used by the Giro d'Italia when it first went up here in 1999, on the famous stage where the Fauniera was climbed, with the spectacle of Pantani climbing and the stratospheric descent of Paolo Savoldelli. I have to admit that the climb itself is not very attractive. Once you leave the village of Festiona behind, you enter a forest and there are hardly any views over the valley. You can only focus on the road, its curves, straights (which there are) and difficult slopes. The asphalt is old, with a lot of gravel and very uneven, which obviously adds difficulty to the climb. The climb up the western side is 7.1 km, 576 metres of elevation and an average gradient of 8.1%. Therefore, it is very hard!! And there are several sections above 12%, especially in the first kilometres, where the gradient is irregular, with very hard sections and small rest areas. The views of the Valdieri valley from the Sanctuary are very beautiful, and also of all the mountains covered with forests and vegetation in the surroundings. We took advantage of the porch at the entrance to the Sanctuary to take shelter from the sun and the heat, and to stock up on food and eat some spectacular sandwiches. I remember it fondly. Below is the altimetry of the climb published by @cyclingcols, the best in these matters --> http://www.cyclingcols.com/col/Colletto

It separates the Stura valley from the Gesso valley, reachable from the municipality of Valdieri (Deseretto valley) or from the municipality of Demonte

Mount Gelas is clearly visible from Entracque. I recommend the climbs towards the lake of the Ruins and towards San Giacomo, where the road ends and the trekking towards refuges and beautiful valleys begins. Excellent starting point for MTB tours but you have to take Portage into account.

In this place there is the Colla della Croce, not the Colla delle Piastre which is 500 meters higher.