Driving the road to Colletto Pramand is not a piece of cake
Colletto Pramand is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.087m (6,847ft) above the sea level, located in the Hautes Alpes, in the southwestern part of the Italian Alps. The road to the pass is called Via dei Saraceni.
The unpaved road to the top, also known as Strada militare Fenil-Pramand-Föens-Jafferau and Strada militare 79, was built in 1886. It includes several hairpin and tunnels. This dirt track unfolds for over 20 km, almost entirely over 2.000 meters above the sea level. Just for 4x4.
This military old trail is difficult and it’s a nightmare in the wet or dark (or both). It climbs up several mountain passes, featuring Monte Jafferau and Monte Seguret. It’s open from May to October.
The road follows a route among several forts. The slope of the road is less than 12%, and the width is around 3 meters. There are some fairly rocky sections, not hard but difficult in most cars. If the weather was bad, you would not consider it. The road is passable by off-road vehicles, transit is allowed. After rain, even a single rainfall, conditions of the road can be challenging. Thunderstorm activity can quickly change unpaved roads to four-wheel-drive condition or make them impassable. The trail is prone to rockfalls, so can be tricky in places. The road is an old military track. At the summit there’s an old WWI fort, called Fort Pramant. It was built in 1905 and lies at an elevation of 2.162 m above the sea level. It’s located on a dirt road on the right of the pass and comes off with some hairpin dates back to the ruins of the fort and then to the grassy esplanade summit.
Pic: Rafał Kudriawcew