Bersaio e Rocca Brancia

We set out from Sambuco to combine a classic with one a little less so. The "normal route" takes you up a dirt road from Pietraporzio to the Salsas Blancias pass and then to the Gardetta plateau, but this time after 7 km of pedaling you are going to follow the path that leads toward Mount Bersaio, touching the summit and descending on the opposite side. Then into the valley of the Madonna and only then climb back up and reach the plateau.

The top of the mountain offers a spectacular view of the Stura valley thanks in part to its overhanging walls on Sambuco. The road up to the plateau comes out at La Bandia, where there are some military constructions, and from there continue to the Ancocia pass. The view is astonishing: the plateau in its almost total length and the taming presence of Meja, the symbolic mountain of the district.

The descent passes under it to the colle del Preit where you can resume the road that leads from the Maira valley to the Gardetta refuge and the ononymous pass. The presence of mtb and ebike riders makes it immediately clear that the area is quite busy and not only for the spectacular environment. Once you reach the pass, you take more altitude until you reach Rocca Brancia and then return to the valley of departure. A long descent of 1200 meters all on natural path totally cyclable and never impossible.