Assietta gravel ring from Susa - Salbertrand variant

The Tour that I propose is a spectacular gravel itinerary, almost entirely at altitude, which will literally leave you speechless with its extraordinary beauty as well as the hardness of its climbs.

This route is suitable for those who have good preparation on off-road mountain itineraries and a level of training capable of managing a prolonged uphill effort. In some sections, you may feel the need to steer the bike by hand... don't worry, I did it too!

Make sure you have a repair kit, water and enough food with you because there are long isolated stretches along the route.

The departure is in Susa, a town easily reachable from Turin both by train and car; from here, once you have crossed the bridge over the Dora Riparia river, follow the signs for Meana di Susa and you will soon find yourself on the slopes of the Finestre hill.

Colle delle Finestre is a climb that should not be underestimated: it does not have extremely steep points, but has a constantly accentuated slope. The first part winds along short asphalt bends, pleasantly shaded, with almost no car traffic. The most characteristic stretch of this climb is the last eight kilometers on a dirt surface. From here on the difficulty becomes more pronounced, although mitigated by a beautiful panorama and the view of the Colle delle Finestre fort located almost on its top.

Once you have passed the top of Colle delle Finestre, located at 2,197 meters above sea level, cross the Pian dell'Alpe, a high-altitude dirt plateau, and then enter the Assietta road.

It's a little difficult for me to describe in words the beauty of this old high-altitude military road and the sense of freedom it conveys. A truly evocative and unmissable stretch of pedaling for those who love off-road driving.

At approximately kilometer 40 of the track, the descent towards the village of Salbertrand begins: many short bends on a dirt road will take you up to one thousand meters above sea level, where you can take the asphalt road again which will take you back along the Val di Susa to the starting point.