ヴァルディエーリの峠・トップ20

The Col Saint-Martin Pass, or Col de la Colmiane, is a mountain pass in the Southern Alps located at an altitude of 1,500 meters in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. It provides a year-round road link between the Tinée Valley to the west and the Vésubie Valley to the east.

The Col Saint-Martin Pass, or Col de la Colmiane, is a mountain pass in the Southern Alps located at an altitude of 1,500 meters in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. It provides a year-round road link between the Tinée Valley to the west and the Vésubie Valley to the east.

https://youtu.be/hC4eceIyyMw?si=515BXh8fRIHsMTkt At the top, there's a wooden stall with snacks and drinks; that's it, a road pass.

In July during the week there was almost no traffic, making it a completely relaxed drive up.

great view

Hill at the confluence between the path that comes from Bernezzo and the dirt road that comes from Chiot Rosa. From here you can easily reach Mount Tamone

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

For a spectacular ascent and a thrilling descent, I would always recommend the route from Italy to France, if you can choose and plan it yourself. A beautiful valley with stunning views on narrow roads in Italy is a great place to enjoy at a slow pace. Wide, well-maintained roads in France make for a relatively safe descent.