West of Turin, the Susa Valley gathers roads, railway lines and the Dora Riparia between steep mountainsides. The abbey of Sacra di San Michele sits high above it on a rocky ridge. Beyond Susa, the long climb towards Mont Cenis leaves villages and woodland behind, gaining height through successive bends. The reservoir spreads across the plateau in turquoise, framed by open pastures and bare summits. Old forts recall the changing borders of this mountain crossing. The route follows the lakeshore towards the pass before descending to Lanslebourg. From there, the Arc valley leads through Modane to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne. Across roughly 138 kilometres, the day moves from a Piedmontese city into the French Alps, with the high lake at its centre.
