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The Stella Alpina Rally, or to use it’s full official name the ‘Stella Alpina Motociclistica Internazionale’ is held every year on the weekend of the 2nd Sunday in July, at the village of Bardonecchia which is near the Italian/French border. The main event is a ride up the Colle del Sommeiller on Sunday morning which offers the highest possible off-road track in the Italian Alps at 3,009 metres (around 9,872 feet).
Riders camp either in or near the village of, or at Scarfiotti Refuge at the beginning of the Colle del Sommeiller track.
Erm. You may have selected the wrong video there Eddie…
Fixt, and here’s some video of the ride up to the top.
The Sommeiller sure is a mindblowing place, but far better without the Stella-hordes of dimwits trying to get up there for some 2minute facebook-glory. Been at the Stella…never again.
Best time of year is late August-mid-Sept when the snow is at its lowest/ gone, the days are warm… and the heroes have long packed up.
Apart from that, Bardonecchia is one hell of a location, there are the breathtaking gravel/rock tracks up the ski-slopes to Mt. Jafferau and the Fort Pramand ruins…right opposite (from Susa) are the Col de la Finestre and the famous Strada di Assietta.Only a day-ride away (and still along the French Italian border to the south) are endless other gems like the Col de Tende (officially closed but rideable if one knows the secondary access points) and various old forts,
Colle di Agnello and Sampeyre as well as 2 dozen minor ridge-bracing goat-tracks and single-lane sealed roads, the Ligurian Border Ridge Track (90km single track/ no supplies….+ access+exit routes), the Valle d’Aupa, Valle Maira and the Maira-Stura Ridge Road…..most of which there is no or very scant English-language info about.Breathtaking tracks and roads in incredible surrounds, for sure.
Rode some of them in 2007, then all of the above (and LOTS more) in 2013 again…and will never get enough of it.
As much as I LOVE the SI for rugged tracks and “out-there” locations…it just doesn’t compare when all the other components (history, language, high-altitude, local lifestyle etc) come into it.
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