Linking Val Varaita to Val Maira, Colle di Sampeyre is one of the highest and most demanding passes in the Cottian Alps, rated Hors Catégorie during its rare Giro d’Italia appearances.
A long climb to over 2,280 m
From Sampeyre, it’s 15.8 km for 1,325 m of elevation gain, averaging 8.4%, with ramps reaching 12 to 14%. The pass tops out at 2,284 m, one of the highest paved points in Piedmont.
An Hors Catégorie pass, rare on the Giro’s route
Rated Hors Catégorie in its race appearances, Colle di Sampeyre has been used by the Giro d’Italia on only two confirmed occasions, in 1995 and 2003. The climb piles on the hairpins and shifting scenery, from forest to high alpine pasture. Gravel riders will also find the “Strada dei Cannoni,” an unpaved military-road variant beyond Colle della Ciabra, tougher than the main road.
When to go
June to October — one of Italy’s highest paved passes, closed by snow the rest of the year.
Good to know
Sampeyre, at the foot of the climb in Val Varaita, is a quiet base for exploring Piedmont’s Occitan valleys, far less crowded than the great neighbouring Alpine passes.
