A military road to Colle Bandia

Colle Bandia is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.429m (7,969ft) above the sea level, located in the Cottian Alps, Piedmont, northern Italy.

Colle Bandia

The road to the summit is mostly paved, with some unpaved parts. It’s an ex military natural surface cart track with modest slope. The surface of the road is mostly gravel. Adverse weather conditions can prompt closure of the road. Thunderstorm activity can quickly change unpaved roads to four-wheel-drive condition.

The experience of using this road is very impressive. In some places is only wide enough for one vehicle, and in many places bordered by a drop of hundreds of meters (many hundreds of feet) unprotected by guardrails. The road is extremely challenging. Along the path are several obsolete military barracks known as Caserme della Bandia.