Col de la Boaire, a military road to the summit
Col de la Boaire / Colle della Boaria is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.102m (6,896ft) above the sea level, located in the Cottian Alps, between France and Italy, which links the Queyras valley (Hautes-Alpes) with Pontechianale in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont.
The track is extremely dangerous for cars and must be traveled with extreme caution on any vehicle (best to avoid transit through common cars). The road is gravelled and it is somewhat bad around the pass height. The speed limit is 20km/h.
The main road in the Col de la Boaire is officially closed from November 1 to March 31 every year. This pass is traversed by the Via del Sale road. It was originally built with military function and was used during the Second World War.
TheVia del Sale is a Ligurian track built in the Middle Ages to transport salt from Ventimiglia to Limone Piemonte and from there to Turin. As a result, the road has been enlarged and many sections were magnified and transformed into military roads to connect the numerous forts located along the border between Italy and France.
Any time avalanches and heavy snowfalls can sometimes block some sections of the road and can be extremely dangerous in winter due to frequent patches of ice. Today, it is a wonderful dirt road, which runs along the ridges of the Maritime Alps on the border between Italy to France, in a wild landscape and stunning views of the sea and the mountains. Conditions can change quickly and be harsh.
Pic: Matteo Quaglia