Colle del Sommeiller

With an altitude of 2,993m, the Colle del Sommeiller is one of the highest roads in Europe. This challenging 26 kilometer climb above Italian Bardonecchia has it all: scree slopes, hairpin bends, a blue turquoise mountain lake at the top and breathtaking views.

Due to the height and the many dark sides, this climb can only be ridden at the end of July, August and September. After that, the snow returns at this altitude and the roads are impassable and dangerous.

The climb starts almost immediately from Bardonecchia, first on asphalt and after about 7 kilometers on a dirt road. The road is passable up to the mountain hut Rifugio Scarfiotti. Here you can interrupt your climb for a break, but you can also save it for later as you will pass here again on the descent.

If you climb further you will reach the high mountains and there is a good chance that you will cycle along walls of snow. Because the road is so high, the route can be covered with snow until mid-summer. It is not until July that most of the snow has disappeared and the remains are removed so that motorcycles, 4x4 vehicles and cyclists can climb the mountain pass. When I cycled here with friends in mid-July a few years ago, the road was surrounded by a five-foot wall of snow.

After about 20 kilometers the hairpin bends start, 17 in a row. Don't forget to look back or get off when you're almost at the top, because the zigzagging roads in the mountain landscape are very photogenic. Once at the top you almost touch the 3,000 meters and you look out over the mountain lake Lago Sommeiller.

Although you have to cycle the same part back, the descent in this terrain is a completely new experience. Let some air out of your tires for more comfort before you start the descent. For a change, you follow the last 13 kilometers on an alternative and partly unpaved road that takes you back to Bardonecchia. HavanaCafé is a good option for a pizza slice and beer on the terrace in the sun.