Enduro in Val Susa with rented motorcycles between Colle del Sommelier and Monti della Luna. Unique views, dirt roads, excellent cuisine.
The Piedmont Alps, on the border with France, have always been a perfect destination for motorcyclists of all kinds, on and off the road: breathtaking views, paved and dirt roads, lots of curves, excellent food and top hospitality.
Content index
To discover the Valley, theater of the HAT Adventurefest and arrival of the well-known adventouring event Sanremo-Sestriere we chose the splendid Hello Pais hut as a base camp, a real gem to stay in Sauze D'Oulx. Peter Tupputi, off-road expert in Italy And in the North African deserts, on the other hand, is our guide with a nice fleet of enduro for hire for those who don't have one motorcycle tessellated.
The Val Susa
Val Susa is now a consolidated playground for motorcyclists in all senses: wonderful roads to travel on asphalt between Italy and France, its passivated who have made the history of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France; dirt roads open to the public, former vehicles militari which take you to the most suggestive peaks of the valley; hospitality, good food and many other activities for those who decide to stay longer.
In the morning we ventured onto the magnificent Mount Jafferau, between dirt roads, military forts and unique panoramas. This afternoon we climb even higher!
The Colle del Sommelier
The second destination of the day is the famous Colle del Sommelier. Place a 2.993 m asl is the highest alpine pass in the Cottian Alps, located along the border line between Italy and France, between Punta Sommeiller and Rognosa d'Etiache, connects the city of Bardonecchia (province of Turin) with the municipality of bramans, in the French department of Savoy.
The road starts from Bardonecchia with an asphalted road up to Rochemolles and dirt road up to the hill. This road reaches the highest altitude of the whole chain of the Alps: 3.009 meters above sea level but only after passing the barrier at the end of the car park (and at the border 16 meters below). Most of the track thoroughly dirt, from Scarfiotti refuge (2.165 m) to the pass, it can only be covered in its entirety between May and November. The municipal ordinance of 21 July 2017 imposes a toll of 5 euros for the transit from the Scarfiotti refuge to the Colle, limited to period 15 July-31 August; in this period, on Thursdays alone, the road is closed to all vehicular transit. On the French side, on the other hand, there are no carriage roads that reach the hill.
It is not really the simplest, as rain, water and snow tend to furrow the path a lot and many points have very protruding rocks. In fact, we have met both maxi-enduro and off-road cars. Slowly you get to the top! The climb is perhaps more exciting for the altitude than for the outline, less spectacular than Mount Jafferau but still fascinating. Getting to the top is a satisfaction and the pond at the end of the road is truly a sight and you feel like you really touch the sky above you.
The descent is therefore on the same road, with the advantage of enjoying the wonderful panorama that we had behind us before. To do at least once in a lifetime!
The Mountains of the Moon
In the heart of the Alta Val di Susa, the mountainous area called "Monti della Luna" is a maze of wonderful paths, with a network of paths and Strade Bianche very well maintained. The routes are particularly suitable for single-cylinder, but also the twin-cylinder can venture on the less technical and still fascinating. From the Hello Pais hut we take the dirt paths that connect Sauze D'Oulx to Sestriere through Colle Basset. In fact, from Sestriere you could also opt for the Colle dell'Assietta, easily reachable by any means, but being equipped with single cylinders, we decide to opt for the less traveled slopes.
Leaving the town, we move towards Bousson through an easy path that runs in modest ups and downs parallel to the course of the stream Ripa; the first goal is the Black Lake, a wonderful place to rest or simply enjoy the view and nature. From the small lake, go back a little to take the path towards Sagna Longa, to take the Gimont-Serra-Granet path that takes you to the Gimont hut. From here there are several descent options: either quickly towards Claviere, or, returning back on the same path, you can descend towards Cesana Torinese through the Rafuyel-Sagna Longa paths or the Serra Grante-Rafuyel-Sagna Longa.
Information and rental
We want to thank you Pietro Tupputi of Live Out Adventures for having accompanied us to incredible places and for the bikes made available, or the Beta 300 Xtrainer which are available for the rental. Perfect organization, especially for those who want to have fun off-road without having to buy motorcycles and equipment. In addition, with the 99 kilos motorcycles, fun is guaranteed!
For the tour we used: Alpinestars (stivali Corozal Adventure Oiled Leather Boots), Enduristan (Blizzard S bags), SW-Motech (Drybag-80), Kite-Parts (handlebar), O'Neal (clothing), Zandonà (protections), M3V(prints), Event (Capra X-Rally tires).
