Colle dell'Agnello: driving from Piedmont into France

For the Piedmontese on the western side, getting to France isn't too complicated; there are various mountain passes and border crossings, among them the Colle dell'Agnello, which I drove on Saturday 05 July to reach Queyras. Going through the Varaita valley via Sampeyre and Pontechianale, after the hamlet of Chianale the pass begins; at first it has a fairly wide paved scenic road with very beautiful mountain views, and if you're lucky and the day is sunny the panorama is truly breathtaking. The driving time is about 1.5 hours to tackle the pass, and there are lovely viewpoints where you can stop for photos and admire nature in all its splendour. Green mountains among grey rock, very tall rocky walls and streams of freezing water. Now and then a hut or a mountain refuge; the pass is almost uninhabited and cycling enthusiasts use it a lot for training.

You can see marmots, various kinds of birds and other high-mountain animals. Despite the fine day, up there the temperature was quite cool; the pass is often closed to traffic in both directions because it is a rather dangerous pass; higher up the road is very narrow and, although it is still paved, the hairpin bends are steep and a little fog or rain is enough to make it truly dangerous, so they close it. I did it in the morning, and the colours and landscapes I saw earn it a good 10 for nature and scenery. A little lake here and there of freezing water, amid various shades of green and the grey of the rock; from above, the view over the whole valley is beautiful. At the top of the pass there are signs marking the crossing from Italy to France, a grey stone monument marks the exact border line and the altitude.

There is a clearing where you can stop and admire below the whole natural explosion of the mountains and the pass. Here and there some patches of snow on the highest peaks; the pure, crisp air enters your lungs with every breath; up there the silence is golden, and for photography lovers it's a great setting. The French side is slightly less fascinating; we are descending towards Molines and the tiny high-mountain villages we encounter seem like ghost places, Wild West villages. Houses of stone and wood, semi-abandoned places, clusters of houses, now and then a little church or a crucifix... few people around and many animals grazing.

The road is winding and in the little villages you often see flowered pots and colourful flowerbeds; the houses aren't very well kept and you can only imagine the life the inhabitants lead here in the middle of winter, when there will be a metre of snow and bitter cold! It's a beautiful pass, but you always have to check whether it's open, and in fact on Sunday evening we couldn't do it because it was closed due to fog and rain. When you arrive in France, the valley of Queyras and of the Guil river (a tributary of the Durance) is nearby and easily reached. The Queyras region is a French regional natural park. Advice? Do the Colle dell'Agnello at least once in summer; it's truly spectacular from its dizzying heights... but... only if you're a skilled driver, if the weather is fine and you take it easy... here nature is only there to be admired!