COLLE DELLE FINESTRE

The pass is within the Orsiera Rocciavrè Natural Park and connects the towns of Meana di Susa in Val Susa and Usseaux in Val Chisone. Founded as a military line of communication, not only does this route pass through beautiful places, but it has a continuous gradient of between 9% and 10%, so it is well known among cyclists for its difficulty. Starting the climb from the Val Susa side means covering a distance of 17km, climbing 1700m and taking 33 hairpin bends. Part of the route (from Colletto di Meana to the summit, a total of 8km) is on a dirt road, which makes it even more difficult to climb and means a high risk of punctures. The scenery it goes through is varied and sometimes really spectacular: after Meana di Susa you enter a wood of chestnut trees and, from this point for about three miles, there is concentrated an impressive number of hairpin bends. While still in the woods, you get to a height of 1452 m on Colletto di Meana where the asphalt ends. This is certainly where the most challenging part of the climb begins, despite the well beaten surface of the trail. From this point on, the valley opens up and the landscape changes completely: the road climbs through meadows and woods. When there are only a few kilometres left to the hill, you can begin to glimpse Forte delle Finestre, built in 1861 to guard this important pass. Once the hill has been reached, you will be afforded a truly spectacular view.