cycling Colle delle Finestre - Susa

Brilliant. The first kilometre or two of climbing out of the (stifling) Susa valley are very steep but the climb quickly settles into a constant ~8% on a narrow, quiet road through a forest. Although the elevation gain on this section is around 900 metres it passes fairly easily as you fall into a comfortable rhythm. At 8km to go the tarmac ends and the Strada begins. Its rough -- rocks up to fist-sized -- and relentlessly uphill. In 8km the elevation gain is around 700m. Its quite doable on a lightweight road bike if you let the bike take its own path and keep a reasonable speed up. We both cleaned the section without putting a foot down, arriving at the summit in cloud for a celebratory lunch. Without doubt one of the best climbs Ive done.

My personal climb rating: 5 stars

This is an awful, awful, miserable climb. It starts with 1500m of 13/15% (the profile here is inaccurate) and then gets very narrow as you wend your way through the trees. This element of the climb is magical with tinkling brooks and dappled shade and quite pleasant. Then you come across the last 8k of unmade road. I was first in our group to meet this element of the climb and had been warned that the surface was ""unmade"". I imagined loose gravel and some uneven surface. Wrong!. The surface is strewn with fist sized and larger angular granite rocks with large ruts and loose shale. I managed some 2k before getting a puncture. No way was I going to subject my Zipp 303s to any more of that and baled out. The rest of the group made it to the top but each described it as the worst experience they had had. Think constant fear of falling off, dust, misery and pain and youre more or less there. The reason for the terrible surface became clear when hot dogging scrambler motor bikes came up the track one after another ripping up the surface and churning out rocks. If you want to do the climb take a steed you dont mind mashing up or climb it from the other side which is tarmac all the way to the top and descend the way you came.

My personal climb rating: 5 stars

July 1st 2009 I had road and MTB with me and the tourist office advised the latter - good advice. The climb is unrelenting - check the profile - I have never ridden something with so little respite, so I appreciated MTB gearing. About half way up, the tarmac stops and the surface is pretty poor - I wouldnt want to ride this with less than 28mm tyres, and it would be no fun downhill on a road bike at all. From the col there is a paved road down to about 1800 metres where there is a plain and a good cafe/restaurant which seemed to be open all week. From here you can climb on an unpaved road to the Colle deli Assiette at 2472 metres and further.Its beautiful road and you can continue to descend to Sestriere where a paved road in the valley would bring you to Fenestrelle from where you can climb back (paved) to the col delle finestre. I ran out of time and just rode to above Sestriere, then turned round and retraced my steps- it all looks very different at 40mph on the way down, from 5mph on the way up! I wouldnt recommend it on a road bike. Also be careful with timing - July 1st was the first day the cole deli Assietta was open for the summer, and I dont think Colle delle Finestre had been open long.

My personal climb rating: 5 stars