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From here you can enjoy a breathtaking view, both towards Italy and France. Unfortunately, I caught it during roadwork and resurfacing, but I'd be curious to see it once it's finished.

Colle dell'Agnello (2,744 meters above sea level - Col Agnel in French; Còl dl'Agnél in Piedmontese) is an Alpine pass in the Cottian Alps (Monviso Alps), as well as the second-highest road pass in Italy and the third-highest in Europe [N 2], preceded only by the Colle dell'Iseran [N 3] in the French Alps and the Stelvio Pass in the Ortler Alps. Located southwest of Monviso, between Pan di Zucchero and Punta dell'Alp, it connects Italy to France from the Piedmontese municipality of Pontechianale to the French municipality of Molines-en-Queyras in the Hautes-Alpes department [N 4]. It was inaugurated in 1973 by expanding a pre-existing dirt military road; It has been a transit point for several stages of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France and a popular destination for summer camps for amateur astronomers, offering one of the observation sites with the darkest, most pristine sky and accessible by normal vehicles.

the marmottes might cross the road, so take care when going downhill on your bike!

The last village on the Italian side is a very well-preserved village with cobbled streets, beautiful and well-decorated houses, and a couple of places where you can eat or have a drink. It is worth stopping to refuel and take a photo at the village fountain before tackling the very tough 10 km stretch to the summit. It is also a good place to have a sandwich or something at lunchtime.

This is a charming little village located halfway up the Colle dell'Agnello, at the foot of Lago di Castello, an artificial lake created by the construction of the Pontechianale dam.

Steep, narrow, lonely, magnificent mountain scenery and plenty of altitude! Do you need more?

It is one of the most spectacular passes in Piedmont. Without a doubt it is in my Top 5 of Piedmont (Fauniera, Agnello, Nivolet, Colle delle Finestre and Colle di Sampeyre). For many it is a great unknown since Fauniera and Agnello are around it, two passes with a lot of name. It has the characteristics of a colossus: it is long, hard, high (over 2,000m) and has privileged views. Colle Sampeyre connects the Maira valley with the Varaita valley, where the town of Sampeyre is located. It has 3 slopes: two through the Maira valley and one through the Varaita valley. Of the 3, the most special for me is the one through the Elba valley, which starts at Ponte Marmora. The road on the 2 sides of the Maira valley is not in good condition so I suggest going up one of these and going down the side of the Varaita valley, which is in good condition as it was resurfaced in 2023. Obviously, we are talking about narrow roads, with no road signs and no hard shoulder. There is very little traffic, so you only have to worry about the ramps, the views and enjoying nature. Regarding the ban on going up the Elba valley... no problem. You can go up by bike perfectly. At the start of the climb the locals put up a barrier to discourage tourists and prevent them from disturbing their peace and the mountains. Cyclists are very welcome. It has been part of the Giro d'Italia on 2 occasions. On the second occasion, in 2003, it will go down in history as the snowy stage, where Gilberto Simoni crowned and Pantani fell on the descent trying to catch him. As well as being a Top 5 in Piedmont, it is also a Top 15 in Italy. It is a mountain pass that I am very fond of. I always recommend it to cyclists who go through that area.

A destination mainly for cyclists and motorcyclists, but also for walkers. You can go up from the municipality of Sampeyre (Val Varaita) or from the municipality of Elva (Val Maira). It crosses the Strada dei Cannoni, a long dirt road of 42 km between the 2 valleys, which touches many municipalities, and starts from Colletta di Rossana and ends at Colle della Bicocca