The abandoned military road to Cima Ciantiplagna

Cima Ciantiplagna is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.849m (9,347ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont. It's one of the highest roads of Europe.

Cima Ciantiplagna

The road to the summit is an old military road called Strada Militare del Colle della Vecchia. It was built in the 1880's and is closed to motor vehicles. The road is extreme. It's gravel and really steep (with an average gradient of 10,83%). The road is impassable in winters. After World War 2 the road was officially classified as "un-useful and difficult to maintain" - and thus abandoned. It's one of the highest roads of the country.