Colle Vallonetto

The Valle Maira and Valle Stura were heavily fortified for military purposes in the 1930s and 1940s. Since then, bikers today have countless first-class options, especially on the Gardetta plateau. The circular route via Colle Vallonetto is one of them.

Description

You start in Valle Stura near the small, idyllic village of Pietraporzio. First follow the state road for a short while before changing to the historic military road. This begins on asphalt but soon turns to gravel and winds its way steadily uphill to Colle di Salsas Blancias. The route is an impressive example of historical engineering - it was once built into the steep rock at great expense.

On reaching the Gardetta plateau, a panoramic high mountain landscape opens up, which is hard to put into words, especially in autumn with its golden larch forest and clear views. The route continues along the ridge path towards Colle Vallonetto - another former military road that is now partly derelict and has been transformed into a varied trail. The crossing is exciting, mostly at difficulty level S2, but requires surefootedness in places: short, exposed sections and some stream crossings, where the bike has to be pushed, provide variety.

You then cross the Colle Vallonetto with a detour to the Cima del Gias and the Colle della Montagnetta, before descending back into the Valle Stura in a technically demanding passage. The last section to Ponte delle Barricate has some more challenging sections.

After this, you reach the Strada Statale 21 della Maddalena. For the return journey, you use the old route outside the tunnel - here you can see impressive relics of the Vallo Alpino, fortifications carved into the rock and positions from a bygone era. Finally, there is another trail section towards Pontebernardo with a similar level of difficulty (S2) before a relaxed ride back to the starting point of Pietraporzio on a gravel road.

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