Colle di Sampeyre
Just out of the Top 20 at #22, the Colle di Sampeyre is a thread of a road through the steep mountains in the Piemonte Region of Italy. Although without the enormous popularity of many of the famed Italian climbs (Stelvio, Mortirolo, Zoncolan, Gavia, etc.), this is a nice climb and well worth doing if you are in the neighborhood. Sampeyre is in the heart of an exceptional bike climbing area which is host to several Top 20 Italian road bike climbs (Fauniera from Demonte, Pradleves, and Marmore, Colle de la Lombarde, and Colle dell'Agnello - the start of each is within an unbelievable radius of 10 miles - Map).
The roadway is quite narrow and a bit rough towards the top, although paved all the way to the colle. While the weather was overcast preventing distant views, we were able to make out the extremely steep mountain walls that form the canyon that SP 8 traverses from the eastern plains of Piemonte (we stayed in Cunio, about 36 miles / 60 km from Sampeyre).
As of 2017 Colle di Sampeyre had been featured in the Giro d'Italia in 1995 and 2003.
At 8.3% average grade for 15.6 km / 9.7 miles along a narrow mountainous roadway in the heart of the Piemonte climbing zone, this is a great adventure that we recommend (if legs be willing) be done in conjunction with Colle dell’Agnello which starts just a few miles up SP8 from Sampeyre (Map - 59 miles / 95 km; 10,735’ / 3,272 m).
Climb starts at SS 21 and SP 55 This is a popular climb
lifts and Ristorante at Santa Anna 3.5 miles / 5.6 km
View back down the valley at half way point Road dramatically narrows at 6.5 miles / 10.4 km
My goodness, how beautiful will this be on a clear day?
Colle di Sampeyre Summit
Steepest kilometer begins at km 8.9 (9.2%)