Colle del Nivolet (Locana) - Cycling Inspiration & Education
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- čas přidán 29. 11. 2017
- Deep in the heart of the Gran Paradiso National Park the Colle del Nivolet is one of Italy's best kept secrets. At 2,612 metres elevation it's one of the highest roads in Europe and yet it's still virtually unknown which, to be honest, isn't a bad thing......as long as you're amongst the few that do know about it!
The original road took a decade to build from 1953-63 and now acts to serve the two hydroelectric dams that you pass. From Locana it feels like much more of a journey than simply a climb, and at 40 kilometres in length it's not hard to imagine why.
The Orco valley is long and saps strength so focus on staying fuelled and well hydrated. With 14 kilometres covered your warm up is over as you hit 4 hairpins with pitches up to 15%. Shortly after it's time to test your fear of the dark. Do you opt for a 3.5 kilometre tunnel or head for the old service road? Today I took the service road option. Granted, it's in terrible condition and there are sections where some cyclocross skills would certainly be handy but in my opinion it beats the tunnel, and you can save that for the way back down when you're in and out of it much quicker.
At Ceresole Reale it's your last good chance to fill your bottles. If you need to take a breather do so here while enjoying the views of Lake Ceresole, there's still 18 kilometres to go and this is where the true adventure begins.
Initially the road is wooded, offering a moment of respite from the summer sun but soon, as the road meanders back and forth, you can sense a real feeling of the great outdoors consuming your senses. Waterfalls, glaciers, mountain peaks and wildlife roaming free, these are the ingredients of legend, fairytale, or perhaps both?
On the upper slopes the 10% gradient easily feels double that as the wind tries harder and harder to hold you back. Persevere and you're gifted with one of the most spectacular roads imaginable flanked with high alpine lakes and over 30 hairpin bends. The fact that this road has never been used by the Giro d'Italia, nor does it have worldwide fame, and it effectively leads to nowhere is all the better. It allows you to forget about everything else that's going on in your world and concentrate on the most important thing in that present moment, the pure and simple act of riding your bike.
That, for me, is what makes the Nivolet so special.
Start: Locana
Length: 40.7km
Summit: 2,612m
Elevation gain: 1,959m
Average gradient: 4.9%
Max gradient: 15%
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Stay well, ride safe and thank you for watching.
Mike Cotty
The Col Collective
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Last week I did the Col de la Madeleine, the Izoard, the Agnel, Cime de la Bonette, Colle della Maddalena and yesterday the Colle del Nivolet, which by far was the most beautiful climb of all.
Thanks for your inspirational videos that made me climb almost all of the Tour de France classics and some more over the last 3 years. 😉
Greets from Germany!
Sweet Home
Matteo Gallo Marchiando , thank you so much ,did it last week,it blew my mind,so much more beautiful in person,especially the stambecco!
Just did it few days ago and all I can say is WOW! It was a sunny day so everything could be seen from above! Spectacular!
It’s one of the best there is!!! 😍 Well done! 👏🏼
@@TheColCollective subscribed to your channel and I can say that my next vacation is gonna be based on videos of yours. Thanks for all the work you do!
Who needs zwift when you can just put on a col collective playlist and pedal away. Top stuff once again!
this is what this channel is all about, AWESOME
Wow.... just incredible. It’s another Italian climb on the bucket list.
i don't remember how i stumble upon this channel already, but one things for sure? i will never forget all this videos and mumble to myself all what cotty says while i'm climbing mountains!! and make them as my strava titles! 😁 ESCAPISM AND UNTOLD BEAUTY that's my new one today!
I go there once every year. That place is amazing. I advice everyone to go there. It's not far from Turin. Of course good legs are required, as the climb is 30 km long ;)
looks absolutely amazing. a long, calm and interesting venture to the top... bliss!
and stunning pictures as always of course
Did this Circa 1991 from Cereseole on a MTB in 90deg heat. One short stop to duck head in the water at lake angel, still remember the bliss of that 31 years later
Thank you mike ! Did this Thurs 27 June 2019, so awe inspiring, it blew my mind, I've done a few hills but this was on another level,perservered.i past closed roaf to reach col di nivolet,what a view,wildlife everywhere,ibex walking across steep dam wall,water everywhere ,like meditation for me,your legs never hurt with views this good. Bravo!
It's a fantastic climb. ...and there is a small cafe at the top, you just have to find the right goat track to get to it!
Finally the Nivolet! Thanks a lot, Mike and team!
You're welcome René. Sorry it took so long to release. We're working full steam on our video releases now so stay tuned for many more!! Ride safe, Mike
Simply beautiful, absolute masterpiece of film, so inspiring for cyclists. Every video gets better and better.
First like and then watch👍😎
That is an amazing climb, I'm dumbstruck and a little hypnotised by it, just breathtaking
My bucket list just got longer..
The videos are coming in thick and fast 👏🏾👊🏾👍🏾👏🏾
Love the scenery on your videos, also love the music. It makes all the climbs seem epic.
That’s a monster climb. Kudos Mike
Thank you! Mike
Absolutely love it
This one seems in a class by itself in some way - incredible up there at the top! I think this one is going on the short list! Thanks as always for a beautiful ride!
Stunning ride. Thank you for making and sharing the video.
Always look forward to new videos, always inspiring!
Stunning!
that climb and landscape looks amazing! very well documented.
Another Masterpiece!
Awesome spot and great video, thanks for sharing!
Landscape looks wonderful. Great vid
Every time I watch these, I want to call in sick to work and go ride, then get on a plane and spend my retirement money cycling all through Europe...then run out of money and come back and go back to work.
I've been waiting for this one for so long! The section above Ceresole Reale is the best road I've ever ridden, and you have certainly done it justice. Wonderful video Mike & team.
best vid so far, absolute beauty!
stunning!
Awesome Mike 🖒😊
AMAZING!!!
Totally epic in person jaw dropping
CZcams, why you no send me alert?!?! Great video as always, I wish I had scenic places like this to ride, instead I just have FLAT farmland
I saw this climb In the Cyclist magazine in October and really hoped you would add it to the Col Collective and wave your magic cinematic wand at and bring it to life. I live these videos, the only downside is my bucket list just keeps growing faster than I can tick them off!!
So beautiful. I have had a picture of this on my laptop for a few years, but didn’t know the name. I don’t think it gets any better then this. Amazing.
It is absolutely AWESOME in every way!!
This is the best ride so far in my opinion.
Lovely place. Watch out for the Mini's 🙂
GREAT!!!!!!!!
the name of this national park tells you everything: "parco del gran paradiso" (big paradise national park) well, in this fantastic channel everybody knows what Italy is and what my country can give you for riding, but stop yourself a moment and think of what a beautiful country we have, from the strong and cold alps trough the fascinating hills of Tuscany, to the turquoise water of Sardinian sea and the rudeness and arrogance beauty of the Etna Vulcan of Sicily. Well, Italy is not only art, fashion or motors, it is also nature of rare beauty, and everybody of you is welcome to enjoy this. hug from Italy
Wow. That is the first time I have ever seen you working hard and breathing from your efforts in ANY of your videos, Mike. What an outstanding place to ride and climb. Thank you for another superb and movtivating video.
Nivolet is a toughie and that headwind was killer!!!
Check out the Zoncolan video
Great video a usual. On our itinery for 2020 when wife and I will be riding a Lake Geneva, Furka Pass, Como, Nivolet, Alpe d Huez Geneva loop. Can't wait.
2:38 just as a note, the gravel road is now a wonderfully surfaced closed road! Don't go down the tunnel
Agreed, if Mike reads this it would be worth updating the text to reflect this.
Belle region avec toiture en ardoise A+ ... great
Out of all the locations this is the one for me. Solitude.
Well in the summer (in particular in July and August) the Nivolet does not exactly match the definition of "solitude". There are so many people with cars and motorbikes that they have to close the road otherwise the traffic would be insane. So the best option is to go there as soon as the road is opened (usually mid June) or in early September.
bellissimo!
awesome
wow! what a road! this channel is epic, beyond anything else out there in the cycling world. Superbly filmed and edited. So professional! Great riding, Mike, I kinda need this inspiration to get back out there after recovering from a couple of years of illness with a rare lung disease.. heading back to the Alps again in summer... love it!
Thank you for your appreciation Alan! Happy to hear we can help you back after your illness. Stay tuned for more video and if you ever fancy riding together in the Pyrenees then hit us up! Ride safe, Mike
Thanks for the swift reply, Mike, appreciated. Yes, I only realised yesterday after a few weeks of watching your videos that you organise tours and trips too; definitely something to look into for future reference. Thanks again and take care!
Cool, ride safe Alan. Mike
Alan Waterworth , it's epic,did it last week,jaw dropping,just be careful it's really steep,dosnt look it,but the effort is worth it.
7:30 amazing
last summer we climbed it ! :)
Hi guys, important news ti communicate! The old street outside the tunnel has been renewed in october 2018 and so it is possibile to pass away the tunnel Cycling new street! Another news!!!! Lake Serú (2200 m of altitude and some km from the top of the street) will be stage arrival at 2019 Giro d'Italia FOR THE FIRST TIME after other climbs in Canavese!! It will be spectacular!!
The tunnel is a viable option. Pretty well lit and always 50 cm/2 feet from the sideline to the sidewalk. Yes, there's a sidewalk too in case of emergency.
The tunnel service road has been paved thanks to Giro stage 13. It s still officially closed by a bar, just go under or around.
Reminds me a little of Lac de Cap-de-Long in the French Pyrenees
Andrew, just back from Pyrenees and Lac de Cap de Long was my final climb and what a stunner. All thanks to a Mike Cotty video I saw him doing saying if there was only one climb you could do in Pyrenees the Lac de Cap is the one and boy did he get that right🤗
Man, did you ride the last 25km out of the saddle?? ;)
This climb is a masterpiece, it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. The Nivolet is fantastic, especially in early summer when you can ride your bike bewteen two walls of snow. The Nivolet is the most beautiful col in Piedmont along with Agnello, Finestre, Lombarda and Fauniera.
Are we going to see other videos about climbs in Piedmont?
Thanks a lot for bringing on CZcams a little bit of the beauty of my region :)
Love Piedmont region, was there 2 summers ago, beasty and beautiful climbs. Colle de Sempeyre surprised me!
Our Alps and our climbs are almost unknown compared to Dolomites but they are beautiful. The Colle di Sampeyre is a very though climb, especially in the summer when the weather can be really hot. Did you climbed it from Sampeyre, Stroppo or Elva? The road from Elva is the most beautiful one.
By the way, climbs in Piedmont are so hard because they generally start at low altitude (between 500m and 1000m) but they always go up well above 2000m. Next summer I'll try a triple ascent to the Fauniera, from all the 3 sides. More than 6000m of elevation gain in just 3 climbs!
Wow what a challenge, also called colle delle morti, isn't it? Good luck and legs!!! I climbed it that year from Pradleves. There are some famous climbs that can be tackled from multiple sides. In that journey did also a threepeat on Stelvio pass, and planning this summer to do something similar in monte Grappa after watching Mike's vid of that climb, what a history!
I tackled Sempeyre from Stroppo in route to climb the Agnello, who almost killed me in those last 9km +10%... Ahhh, great memories.
Sampeyre from the south is one of the best climbs.
Fully agree. For me Nivolet, Agnel, Sampeyre, Fauniera and Lombarde are among the best climbs ever.
Hi Mike. Where can I go to listen to the soundtrack of you videos?
Really inspiring...
You should try to ride Mangart, on Italian-Slovenian border. Highest Slovenian road, at 2050 meters...
The tunnel service road is closed due to excavation works. The local administration has plan to reopen it in the near future with brand new pavement.
looks amazing, a little difficult to groupe it with other climbs :(
If you start from Locana you can add another climb: Teleccio. It also starts from Locana and it is extremely hard, 12.1km at 10.2% average gradient. This is the elevation profile: www.salite.ch/8950.asp?Mappa=
Done Teleccio after Nivolet in summer 2016... crazy climb, similar to Mortirolo!
i mean it more like, go on vacation for a week and do 10 cols , my english probably got you guys confused :)
FYI side road closed now have to ride through 3k tunnel bring lights!!
what a ride?
I love your videos Mike.Just one question.Why do you stand up so much on the bike.Does it not take up more energy by standing.
Hi Roland, glad you're enjoying the videos :-) There's no real science behind my standing while climbing technique, it just feels comfortable as I find I can get into a good rhythm like that. In reality I don't stand up quite as much as each video may suggest, a climb may take an hour or more but the video is generally condensed into less than 10 minutes much of which being the steepest / hardest parts so it is a little skewed, but hey, let's not spoil the illusion.....it'll be our little secret ;-) Thanks for watching. Ride safe, Mike
Hi Mike Thank you for your reply.Happy new year and may you have a great year.I just wanted to say how much I love your videos in the Col Collective.I cycle everyday to work and back 30 km even in winter in Sweden.I have just invested in a specialized bike.It's the brand from america.They have the new system called future shock.I just love the bike and I will be doing a tour of Norway this summer with Rapha tours but I will try to book tours with your company soon after that as I want to do tours through the south of france and Italy.Thanks for the amazing videos as they inspire me.
Cow looks at the camera @ 4:50
Medium Rick fortunately that cow was a very good actor and pinned it first time! 🐮
Hey guys! Hope you’re well? We loved your video and we'd love to share it on our social pages to our audience of 6.1 million people, with giving you credit of course. Just reply with "Yes!" to give us permission.
We look forward to hearing back from you!
Cheers
- Ben
Thanks for getting in touch, super happy you like the vids! Absolutely yes if you'd like to share through your social pages. If you could tag / credit us this would be awesome so we can join the conversation. Let us know if you need anything else now or in the future. Thanks again! Mike Cotty
Col Collective = Mike & The Mechanics?
Looks like fun. What about drivers/cars? Rode the Dolomites this year and Italian drivers aka race car drivers were a safety issue.
Wonder how many more rides TCC can do..
Hey, can you or someone name the song used in this video? :)
The list gets longer every time you publish another!
Well, I guess it isn't a best cept secret anymore, now, ey?
Maybe not.....Mum's the word ;-)
Alguién sabe si hay familia Giacomotti ?
no people at there?
Posto magnifico, anch’io l’ho visitato: czcams.com/video/0h0LvB05X24/video.html