The Salt Route

On 3 and 4 July 2004 our association organised a two-day excursion along the Via del Sale (Salt Route), in total over 100 km of off-road driving, starting from Ventimiglia and finishing at Limone Piemonte. Given the high number of participants, over 30, the organisers fielded three support pickup vehicles for the event, equipped with a mobile workshop and complete gear for freeing and recovering vehicles, with 5 guides. Given the fine season, the meeting point was arranged near the beach at Ventimiglia, where participants had a chance to cool off before tackling the tracks that climb up the Alps dividing Italy from France; maybe cooling off wasn't even necessary... we even found snow!!!!!! The group is definitely complete: there are very young people, young people, adults and seniors, plus Kelly the little dog, the group's mascot, and her admirer Duke the pug.

At 12.00 we set off from the sea to reach the mountain hut, which on our arrival is immediately wrapped in fog; the temperature turns fresh, but the coffee isn't bad. After the short stop at the hut, the wheels hit the dirt; the track is a narrow mule path that can be tackled without great difficulty. A steep, very bumpy initial climb forces those with less horsepower to engage low gear; from here on you already need to watch the edge of the roadway, sheer over dizzying drops. Climbing higher, after about twenty km, we reach the former Alpini barracks. It's around 16.30 and a few rays of sun peep through. Before setting up camp we test the vehicles, all the more so because tomorrow there will be numerous demanding passages. The area looks like a real training ground for our DRIVERS: there are steep gradients and sheer climbs, engines paw the ground and horses neigh loudly.

We pitch the tents for the night and, of course, the wind picks up and the temperature drops suddenly. The youngest are given the role of "woodcutters" and set off in search of dry wood for the barbecue. At 19.00 the large brazier is lit, not least because there are a good 35 kg of meat to cook!!!! The "woodcutters" return; the now-veteran Luca has even brought his safety helmet... the load of wood is abundant. The fire is lit and in no time a fine bed of embers is ready, the grills are prepared, the long table is laid and we gorge on grilled meat with tasty little sauces, all accompanied by rivers of Barbera, with table service by "head waiter" Manuel. A good coffee would be nice, but there are few coffee makers, so we might as well all digest with the legendary Booka (Tunisian grappa), coffee liqueur, Prosecco grappa and Sambuca.

Attracted by the smell of our barbecue and the racket we were making, some "neighbours" camped on the plain below join us; they too have a "faithful" friend, a beautiful Dobermann who socialises happily. The evening ends with a few hints of "tipsiness" and a few chilly teetotallers, but certainly everyone more than full and satisfied. The night is long and all sorts of things happen in the camp: little Duke snores almost like a Great Bear, the "little ones" who were at first thrilled to sleep in a tent go and sleep in the car, most of the men - whom we'll avoid naming to spare them embarrassment - make... "explosive" noises, and in the background always the sheep bells of the flocks roaming the area. Once the night is over we take stock and unfortunately Claudia and Valeria aren't feeling too well; probably the excessive cold upset them a little.

Fearless, they say we can set off without a problem, so at nine, after breakfast and a thorough clean-up of the whole area, taking away our rubbish and not only ours... we set off again. We start with a downhill mule path, very dusty and uneven, with narrow hairpin bends that force the longer vehicles to manoeuvre at every turn; then the track enters a dense forest. Here the surface becomes, at times, softer in the shaded part, and we even find a few puddles; we continue over rocky stretches until we emerge towards the Passo Saccarello at an altitude of 2145, dominated by the statue of the Redeemer. The Redeemer overlooks a valley covered in wild azaleas; it's midday and as some rays of sun peep between the clouds we decide to have lunch. The seniors are definitely the best equipped in the "kitchen" and make excellent coffee for everyone.

We set off again and the route begins to become really demanding; in many places the gaps are barely wide enough for the car to pass, the left wheels graze the rocks while the right ones skim the edge of the track, which in some stretches overlooks drops of several hundred metres - but precisely these offer unrivalled scenery; nature here has truly been generous. We continue in low gear, but at a steady pace; the crews are all very experienced, there are no hitches, and even Giacomo, a newcomer to off-roading, flanked by his navigator, is enjoying himself and pleased with his three-month-old L200, a vehicle also made available to the group for collecting rubbish (thank you). We make several stops for photos, filming and to stretch the legs of Kelly and Duke.

We're heading towards Limone Piemonte and we cross the Karst area, where rock has replaced the greenery, but wind and water erosion have worked it so well that in our eyes it looks like an immense sculpture. We're getting higher and higher and the temperature has dropped further; in many places, in fact, all the Mitsubishis, Toyotas, Nissans, Daihatsus... have had to pass the "snow" test - yes, that's right, there's still snow!!!!! Here too everyone passed, even Max on sand tyres... he's always the same, we know him by now; actually even Morena, his trusted "mechanic", was a little worried. Claudio and Margherita stay a little behind to film the others' off-roaders passing, but they're not the only ones watching: there's also a very curious pair of marmots observing what goes on around them.

Claudio immediately switches off the L200's engine and even has Margherita turn off her noisy fridge, so he manages to capture this original "couple". It's late afternoon; we reach a small lake surrounded by the inevitable, splendid wild azaleas. On we go, we have to reach Limone, and we get there at around 17.00, where we begin the descent on the steep ski slopes that bring us down to the valley floor and the fast tarmac that leads us home. In this "two-day" trip we passed not a few difficult tests, and the tension built up during the sheer, tight passages is released all at once in a few minutes.

WELL DONE AND CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE Margherita Fenelli