The challenging road to Pian del Re

Pian del Re is a high mountain town at an elevation of 2.020m (6,627ft) above the sea level, located in Valle Po, a valley of Cottian Alps in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont, northern Italy.

Pian del Re

The road to the summit is called Strada Provinciale 234. It includes some steep sections, without market central lines. It’s very narrow, scarcely wide enough for two cars to pass at the same time, and has not protections or guard rails. The road to access there, when there’s not snow, starts from Crissolo (1,333 m) through Pian della Regina (1,800 m). The surface of the road is asphalted, and chains or snow tyres can be required throughout the year.
This road is open between June and October only. The asphalt is in good condition throughout the entire climb. Variable width, wider between Crissolo and Paesana and very narrow in the final 3 km from Pian della Regina to Pian del Re. Without much traffic, the road is forbidden to trucks and the average percentage is 7.5 %. The road is difficult and it’s a nightmare in the wet or dark (or both).

The road still remains an adrenaline-pumping journey and is definitely not for the faint of lungs, heart, or legs. From Pian del Re many trails branch out toward the surrounding mountain peaks of Monviso, Punta Roma, Punta Udine and Granero, and toward the lakes that lie at their feet.It seems the name of the town comes from the time when French Army was there, during Francesco I di Francia times, before the invasion of the duchy of Savoy.