Colle del Nivolet -Italy
The road to nowhere - a ride between reality and imagination. One of the greatest Alpine roads ever.
Cycling the Colle del Nivolet is a rare, almost surreal alpine experience—long, quiet, and beautifully remote, with a sense of riding into a protected world. It is a sustained, remote climb that begins in a narrow, forested valley and gradually opens into the wide, protected landscapes of Gran Paradiso National Park. The ascent is steady rather than extreme, encouraging patient pacing as traffic thins and silence takes over. Higher up, trees give way to open alpine pastures and rocky slopes, with a series of striking high-altitude lakes lining the road near the top. The climb finishes at 2,612 meters on a broad, quiet plateau, offering a rare sense of space, calm, and immersion in the high Alps.
Colle del Nivolet 2641m
The climb to the Colle del Nivolet is not so much of a cycling climb than a riding symphony. The road has something dreamy about it aided by the lovely flow of the road up the mountain and the superb surroundings of the Grand Paradiso National Park which exudes serenity and calmness.
At the start in the Orco valley you pass through age old villages, and on the top, the road seems to go straight up into the sky. The most wonderful riding experience available. The fact that it is long and hard becomes almost irrelevant. This climb is truly one for everyone's bucket list.
Locana to Noasca
From Locana, this climb covers 41km and 2125m elevation gain. The distance and elevation gain makes this a very tough climb. But as with most long climbs this can be broken down into stages. Leaving from Locana, the first 13.8km cover 420m elevation gain on the SS460 along the Ocro river to Noasca. Great to warm up your legs and to get enchanted by the rickey villages and the vibe of the Gran Paradiso National Park.
Noasca to Ceresole
The next 8.8km from Noasca to Ceresole Reale offers the first taste of climbing. A section of four steep hairpins out of Noasca and then along the Old Ceresole Highway climbs a total of 600m - very steep gradients here! Avoid the tunnel under any circumstance. At an average of just under 10% gradient and a max of 15% it is the steepest road tunnel in Italy and totally horrible. The old Ceresole Highway on the other hand is traffic free and magical.
Ceresole to Lago Seru
The climb starts in earnest at the first hairpin after Ceresole where the road leaves the river and starts to rise high above the valley to Lago Seru. This is probably the toughest section of the climb covering 7.8km, 620m elevation gain and 18 hairpins.
Once you are at Lago Seru, you have broken the back of the climb and have done 35.5km riding and nearly 1800m climbing.
Lago Seru to the top
The push to the top is where you should enjoy the ride the most. 5.5km of unreal road cover 340m elevation gain and where the road stops being a climb and becomes the stuff of fairytales. After a short downhill to Lago Angel, the SP50 road meanders up the mountain over 13 rolling switchbacks opening ever more dramatic views while you continue riding on a road clinging to the side of the mountain and seemingly going into nowhere.
The climb to the Colle del Nivolet is not so much of a cycling climb than a riding symphony.
Colle del Nivolet from Locana
Length: 41km
Altitude gain: 2125m
Max altitude: 2625 m
Average gradient: 5.2%
Max gradient: 20% (at the Old Ceresole Highway)
Route Tip: A full climb from Locana, which is generally regarded as the starting point of the climb is an 82km round trip with 2225m climbing.
To shorten the climb and the pain in your legs and lungs, you can start at Noasca to take in the Old Ceresole Highway or you can start at Ceresole Reale to focus on the core climb.
Always remember to leave enough in the tank to enjoy the top part of the climb.
