Route

The climb up to the Sanctuary of Oropa has always had an incredible fascination, whether for faith or simply for sport. In recent times, it became even more famous by the exploits of the Giro d'Italia riders; in particular by Marco Pantani to whom the climb was dedicated and that along our route, at the point where he stopped to fix the chain, there is a monument in his memory. We will mainly climb along paths such as the suggestive "Sentiero del Trenino" (little train path) that in the 1950s led to the Sanctuary, and then head towards the "Sette Fontane" huts: a mountain pasture on the slopes of Mount Mucrone to return to the city by crossing the pastures of the Elvo Valley. Departure from Biella in Via Ivrea at the corner of Via Mantegazzi. From here, bending to the left, we take via Golzio until, near a hairpin bend, we enter the Bellone Park. We ride uphill to the end of the park where, coming out at a crossroads, we turn left into strada della Nera until we cross strada Garella on our right. We go past a sports field and turn left onto the Campo and Zampe road until we reach the provincial road where, going uphill on the left and always straight ahead, we come to a crossroads in Via Santuario di Oropa. After 400 meters on the right, we see a steep concrete ramp where, after a few meters, trail (D1) starts and takes us back to the asphalt road. We continue uphill until the village of Favaro. Here we turn right after 250 m. near a curve with a fountain and take via Sordevolo until we find the provincial road: we turn right and go up until seeing a short cement ramp on the left that takes us to the path of the "Trenino" (little train) that led to the sanctuary (D6). Without ever leaving the very clear track, we follow it to its end where it comes out on a wide gravel road. We turn right and find again the road that goes up to Oropa. We go up until we see a Votive Chapel on our right, and continue leaving the road, on the former railway line that in a short time brings us in front of the entrance of the sanctuary. We continue along the provincial road of Tracciolino for 5.6 km until on our right we reach a very steep road that after 1.7 km of ascent, near a hairpin bend to the left, on a slight slope, starts the farm road that takes us to the Alpe "Sette Fontane". We return to the main road, turn right and continue until finding a road on the left that descends to "Bagneri" on a gravel road and then to "Graglia" on a tarmac road. At the crossroads, we turn left onto the provincial road (SP500), go straight on towards Occhieppo Superiore and at the fourth roundabout; we turn left and continue in the same direction to find via Ivrea and the starting point.