Alpibike2005 - from Crissolo to Ventimiglia

Victory! I’ve made it. I’ve reached Ventimiglia!

Last week was the only rainy one, out of eight. I’ve been tempted to take the train and arrive at the seaside early, but I’ve resisted and, you know, "Fortuna audaces iuvat"
Indeed, I’ve succeded in cycling through the rain without getting wet or - let’s say it better - without almost getting wet...
From Crissolo I leave again - in an instable weather - and go along the Valley of Lenta, towards the Colle del Cervetto - a very high mountain pass. 
Here is possible to pedall for the almost whole length, along a mountain lane, as far as the Alpe Tartarea, 300 metres below the mountain pass.
I ride through thick fog, until I reach the mountain pass. I follow a path where there are some big cairns, but no painting signs at all. You have to be very experienced, not to make a mistake, taking the wrong direction. And all the tracks left by cows are very similar. The view of the mountain pass always cheers trippers (both hikers and bikers) up. Certainly, this view cheers me up much more, since I cycle alone.

From the Col - while the sky is clearing up - I look around the Eastern Crest, looking for a phantasm path, without any result.
Then I descend southwards, following the very clear red-and-white painted signs and along a nice cart-track, which goes down steeply as far as the village of Becetto.
At last the asphalt road leads me to Sampeyre, a village located on the road which goes up as far as the mythical Colle dell’Agnello, Cima Coppi in more than one Giro d’Italia. But my itinerary doesn’t take me there...
On the following day - Monday 5th September - the sky is clear, at dawn, but I’ll see the sun again just the next Saturday! Indeed, I’ll ride through fog and rain for 5 days, apart from two short intervals.
This leg of my journey has in common with the Giro d’Italia the great ascents: the Colle di Sampeyre comes first, then the Colle of Esischie, and the Fauniera. Last the Madonna del Colletto comes.
I ride up to The Colle di Sampeyre through thick fog, and under a light ‘London style’ rain. Along the last 4 kilometres, under a shower, two nice Piedmonteses on board a small jeep give me a lift: my bike juts out and we have to leave the door open!

I take now the ‘Strada dei Cannoni’ (the name means ‘Road of Guns’), that leads to the Colle del Birrone. I cycle along, without seeing any view, apart from two growling, but luckily chained, dogs. The road surface is so bad, that the steel support of my front bag breaks. 
I get wet through to S. Damiano Macra and I am staying at a Bed & Breakfast. The hotel Owner loves bikes and horses, and is a blacksmith too. My problem is solved... and we spend the evening talking about itineraries and bikes. Now it’s raining hard, and it will rain cats and dogs all night long. 
The day after, the weather is still bad, and the tops of the mountains are hidden behind heavy black clouds, but I try to ascend the Fauniera all the same. 
I am given a lift twice; so, I avoid the most dangerous part of the asphalt road (a very narrow road, and with a lot of bends, in addition), and from Marmora I slowly ride up - trough thick fog - until I reach the Monument - located 1.000 metres above - to the unforgettable Champion Marco Pantani.

I get there at 2 p.m. and start descending immediately, although - due to the rain and the altitude - I feel cold and have to stop every 5 minutes, to stimulate the blood circulation of my fingers.
In Demonte the hotels are quite full, a group of scouts booked them, but don't they use tents in ancient time? probably there are no longer genuine scouts . So, I have to go up again to Vinadio, where it’s raining all night long... But... Surprise!...The morning after - on Wednesday 7th September - the weather is fine. I set out - dry and cheerful - for Valdieri and Entracque, but suddenly the weather gets worse, and it’s raining again, while I get to the Colletto. I stay overnight nel GTA rest house, in Trinità; it’s raining cats and dogs again, and the weather forecasts are very bad.
On Thursday 8th September, at 8 o’clock in the morning the tops of the mountains aren’t hidden anymore, but there are many fast clouds. I look around the deep valley that leads to the Colle del Sabbion. 
It’s raining again, and I get to Limone Piemonte on the road, and then by train: as soon as I get on, it starts raining cats and dogs. Afterwards I spent the whole afternoon in the hotel, reading the weather chatrs very carefully, and looking for a number of alternatives to taking the "Via del Sale" (the name means ‘Road of Salt’), from the Colle di Tenda to the Allavena Hut. 

On Friday 9th September, when I wake up, it’s still raining hard. While I’m buying the ticket at the station, the weather gets better and, once I am on the train, I feel like getting off. 
But "Alea iacta est" and I stay on the train; I have made the right decision: the border Pass wil be covered with heavy clouds all day long, and that would have made the efforts to ‘cycle over there completely useless.
At the Briga Station I find a lovely and sunny weather. I visit the medieval part of the village and the wonderful little church of Notre Dame des Fontaines, where very beautiful frescoes, dating back to the XV century, represent the Passion of Christ (and the Last Supper fresco was surely inspired by the Cenacolo by Leonardo da Vinci), the Life of The St. Maria and the Last Judgement. A pretty college student, Elisa, explains shortly to me the various paintings and I promise to send her an image of Cenacolo, whom she doesn't know.

A gravel road leads from the Church to the Col de Lineares, with very steep final ramps and a magnificent view, as well,

then a long path in the wood takes me to the Colle Sanson, where I reach the Via del Sale.
It’s foggy and starts raining again, beyond the Colle, as far as the ruins of a building , where I find out that happiness sometimes just means a nail, to hang a wet jacket on, in a in-ruins-buiding!
Then, there is another ascent as far as some barrack ruins. Here I have to ‘keep at a distance’ 5 watch dogs of an house nearby. Afterwards, I start descending towards the Col Roland, the Grai Hut, and the Allavena Hut.
As it has already happened, I am the only guest of the Hut, and so can talk long with the very nice hut Managers , mainly with briskly miss Manola, from Tuscany!

On Saturday 10th September, it’s the last day of ALPIBIKE; the sky is clear; the magnificent Massif of the Pietravecchia comes into view. Unfortunately, my luggage is too heavy to cycle over there, so I start descending at 40 kms/per hour, towards Pigna. A dog suddenly appears out of a farmyard, and I hardly avoid it, shouting abuse.
Afterwards, I start descending slowly towards the last Mountain Pass of my journey, the Colle Gouta (I do 1,000 metres in 2 hours or more), where a very kind family, from the Principality of Monaco, gives me some bread, cheese and red wine.

The fog envelops me like a woman in love, then a very beautiful itinerary along a military road, that cuts across all the deep valley of Gouta, leads me fast to the midst of the pinewood, but on big stones, descending as far as 480 metres. It’s a very beautiful - but very tiring! - stretch. 
I’ve just met Mr. Roberto Bergese from Moncalieri, who has come back to see me at the end of my journey. That’s very kind of him, since it takes 3 hours, by car, from Moncalieri, where he lives, to Ventimiglia.
Now, I start seeing the olive-groves and the green-houses, and suddenly I see the sea again - behind a bend - AFTER 56 DAYS...!
The Greeks of Xenophon shouted thalassa, at the end of the Anabasis. Like them, I‘m very moved to see the Sea again. It’s a very deep emotion, but with a touch of sadness: my great adventure is coming to an end. 
I descend along an asphalt road, and am worried, because my brakes hardly work now. But I relax - immediately and completely - as soon as I’m in front of the Ligurian Sea, which I admire from the beach of Ventimiglia.
Here - as I promised - I take off my socks and shoes and go into the water, with my bike!!

ALPIBIKE 2005 IS OVER!

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Clubs and associations may contact the author for slides conference in English language about Alpibike2005 writing an e-mail to contatti.alpibike@bike8000.it   .