Col du Clapier is where Hannibal crossed the Alps

# Col du Clapier-Colle Clapier: A High-Alpine Adventure

Perched at a dramatic 2,480m (8,170ft) in the northern Cottian Alps, the Col du Clapier straddles the Italian-French border like a natural gateway between worlds. This pass—also called Col de la Savine—connects the Savoie region of southeastern France with Italy's Piedmont, and honestly, it's one of those places that feels genuinely remote and timeless.

Here's the thing: there's no paved road up here. Instead, you're looking at a bridle path that stretches from Bramans (1,220m) down to Susa (503m), making this a true hiker and mountain biker's territory. The path only opens seasonally—typically July through August—when the snow finally melts away. Starting from Col du Petit Mont Cenis, you've got a 7km climb ahead of you. The lower sections follow an old military gravel road (accessible to 4x4s and bikes), a remnant of the late 1800s and WWI-era fortifications that pepper this entire alpine border. Once you push past Lac de Savine though, it's hiking only—the bikes have to stop, and the Italian side becomes a proper mule track for feet only.

But here's what really makes this pass legendary: Hannibal might've crossed here. Seriously. While historians have debated for 2,000 years exactly which route the general took with his 50,000 soldiers, 5,000 horses, and 37 elephants back in 218 BC, this remote pass is a genuine contender. Sure, Napoleon and the local tourist board back the Col du Mont Cenis, but many scholars think Clapier's secluded nature makes it the perfect candidate for his daring Alps crossing into Italy. Either way, you're walking in the footsteps of history.