Where is Colle del Nivolet?
Italy, europe
40.5 km
2.532 m
hard
Year-round
Colle del Nivolet is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.621m (8,599ft) above sea level, located in the northern part of Italy. It’s featured in The Italian Job film; the final bus crash scene probably being the most famous. It's
one of the highest roads in Italy
Where is Colle del Nivolet?
The pass is located on the boundary between the Aosta Valley and Piemonte regions, in the northern part of the country, high in the Eastern group of the Graian Alps, in the heart of the Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso (the oldest in Italy). There are three artificial lakes located immediately below the pass:
, Lago Agnel, and Lago di Ceresole.
Is the road to Colle del Nivolet paved?
The road to the summit is totally paved. It’s called Strada Provinciale 50 (SP50). The road took a decade to build from 1953 to 1963 to service the two hydroelectric dams up high.
Is Colle del Nivolet challenging?
The road looks even more incredible when you have it all in front of you. It is one of those roads you really wish you would drive at least once in your lifetime, with 33 hairpin turns. Once you reach higher altitudes,
the views become more breathtaking, and the road starts to feel more dangerous not only because of the narrow width but also because of the absence of any safety barriers. The road is thrilling, breathtaking, dangerous, and one of a kind. It is narrow, and on a busy day, you can forget about going fast in a car because there are too many blind corners to watch out for.
The road can get a little narrow at times. Sometimes the railings are missing. If you are afraid of heights, this road can sometimes get a little too exciting.
Is Colle del Nivolet steep?
The road has been featured in the Giro d'Italia race. Starting at Locana, the ascent is 40.5km (25 miles) long with an elevation gain of 1.907 meters. The average percentage is 4.7%. It hits a 12.9% maximum gradient through some of the ramps.
The steepest part of the climb is some great hairpins below the two dams. A 3.5km long tunnel (Tunnel Ceresole), lit and wide, on the way to the summit, is one of the steepest tunnels in the Alps with gradients of around 12-14%. Beyond the pass, the paved road descends for a couple of kilometers, and approximately 1.6 km north of Colle del Nivolet, at an elevation of 2.532m above sea level, the road ends. It’s paved and there’s a barrier.
There are a couple of more lakes and a little restaurant – it’s just over the Piemonte/Aosta border. After the barrier, the road becomes a rough track only suitable for mountain bikes and dedicated off-road vehicles.
This track is 4.8 km long and ends at an elevation of 2.415m above sea level.
Which mountain pass was The Italian Job filmed?
The windy road to the summit offers both spectacular scenery and endless amounts of curves. It was the location of several scenes in the film The Italian Job, including the iconic final bus crash.
Is Colle del Nivolet open?
Colle del Nivolet is closed from 15th October to 15th May. There is also a driving ban on the last six kilometers of the road for all private motor vehicles on Sundays and public holidays between 10th July to 28th August.
Driving the Via del Sale: A High-Altitude 4x4 Road in the Ligurian Alps
The military road to Monte Jafferau was built in 1886
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Road Details
- Country
- Italy
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 40.5 km
- Max Elevation
- 2.532 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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