- 42KM
- 1,550M
- 3,180M
overnight // SAMPEYRE
day 1
AT THE COURT OF THE STONE KING
SAINT-VÉRAN → SAMPEYRE
Nestled beneath the majestic Stone King—Monviso—the Queyras is a wild Alpine world of ancient villages, centuries-old fortifications and trails suspended between France and Italy. From the legendary Colle dell’Agnello, almost 3,000 metres above sea level, immense views open across high-altitude meadows, larch forests and rugged mountain ridges.
Flowing singletracks and technical descents follow historic trails across the border, while the unmistakable profile of Monviso dominates the horizon. For Stefano, returning to these mountains is deeply personal: for three years, he worked behind the scenes of the Stone King Rally as FCI-UCI Gravity Race Director, overseeing the race on Italian soil and studying the hidden connections between these valleys.
Our journey begins here, between two countries and surrounded by the highest peaks of the Western Alps. From this point, we begin an immense six-day descent towards the Mediterranean.
- 53KM
- 1,680M
- 4,780M
overnight // SAMPEYRE
day 2
A TREASURE OF STONE AND SILENCE
SAMPEYRE → MARMORA
We continue south, leaving Val Varaita behind as four spectacular trails lead us towards Val Maira. Beneath the Colle di Sampeyre, an extraordinary network of ancient mule tracks and former military roads opens across high-altitude ridges, larch forests and remote mountain slopes.
Wrapped in a timeless silence, Val Maira is a land of abandoned stone villages, untouched landscapes and deeply rooted Occitan traditions. Along the trails, traces of Alpine history emerge between old pathways and the remains of fortifications, before long, exhilarating descents carry us deeper into the valley.
The day ends with the warm hospitality and authentic flavours of the mountains, from gnocchi al Castelmagno to traditional ravioles. Val Maira is a place of stone, forest and silence, where the land still speaks Occitan and time seems to have stopped—inviting us to slow down and listen.
- 42KM
- 1,400M
- 3,680M
overnight // vinadio
day 3
RIDING IN SILENCE
MARMORA → VINADIO
At the heart of this journey lies Valle Stura di Demonte, halfway between the sharp, snow-covered peaks of Monviso and the shimmering horizon of the Mediterranean. Where the Maira, Stura and Grana valleys meet, our wheels follow silent trails once crossed by soldiers and mountain communities.
In 1744, French-Spanish troops fought the Savoyard army of Charles Emmanuel III for control of these valleys and access to Cuneo. The battles around the high mountain passes were fierce, leaving a memory that still survives in the name Passo dei Morti. We ride through this landscape with respect, listening to the silence and remembering what the mountains can teach us.
Approaching Vinadio, the character of the trails changes once again. Here, a new generation of passionate local trail builders works tirelessly to keep these paths alive and in perfect condition for riders from around the world. Their dedication allows us to end the day on beautifully shaped natural trails.
- 41KM
- 1,210M
- 3,550M
overnight // LA BRIGUE
day 4
FROM SKY TO SEA
VINADIO → LA BRIGUE
Can you recognise that scent in the air? The sea is getting closer. After a series of fast, flowing trails through the forests, a long traverse carries us towards Colle di Tenda—the final great mountain barrier standing between the Alps and the Mediterranean coast.
Once again, we ride across the border between Italy and France, following ancient paths carved into rock and shaped by centuries of passage. First mentioned in the 12th century, La Brigue became an important centre for trade and transhumance along the routes connecting the Roya Valley with Piedmont. Salt was one of the most valuable goods carried across these mountains.
Every trail holds traces of that history, worn into the little soil available by generations of travellers. Nearby, other people once engraved their stories and prayers into the rocks, calling upon ancient gods now forgotten. In the forests of the magical Roya Valley, the connection between humanity and nature remains almost tangible.
- 42KM
- 900M
- 3,890M
overnight // MOLINI DI TRIORA
day 5
AT THE CROSSROADS OF ENDURO
LA BRIGUE → MOLINI DI TRIORA
It is our penultimate day of riding—and perhaps the most iconic. The perfect trail may not exist, and we are not searching for it, but the four trails awaiting us today come remarkably close. Once again, we ride between two countries, in a landscape where the only language spoken is mountain biking.
At the end of the day, we reach Molini di Triora, a small mountain village shaped by the passion and dedication of its local trail builders. It began with the pioneering Vernassa brothers, who helped introduce shuttle riding to the valley and opened the way for a new generation of riders and builders.
That legacy was later carried forward by eclectic figures such as Adrian Nash and continues to live on today. Molini still has countless stories to tell—stories of endless, steep and relentless trails that test both rider and bike, but somehow leave everyone smiling at the bottom.
- 25KM
- 450M
- 2,150M
END OF THE TOUR // BORDIGHERA
day 6
STRAIGHT TO THE MEDITERRANEAN
MOLINI DI TRIORA → BORDIGHERA
We have reached the final day—or perhaps another beginning. Memories of the afternoons Stefano spent discussing a future mountain bike rally from the Queyras to Liguria with the legendary Ash Smith remain vivid. At that time, Bordighera did not yet exist on the mountain bike map; it was simply an idea taking shape between sand, rock and Mediterranean vegetation.
Driven by the desire to reveal the hidden potential of Montenero, Stefano and a small group of friends began restoring trails that had been abandoned for decades. By connecting older paths with new, flowing sections, they created Vamos a la Playa—a singletrack designed to evolve from accessible riding into something progressively more technical and demanding.
Today, that trail carries us towards the distant shimmer of the sea. We finish with our wheels on the beach and the Mediterranean stretching out before us. Yet this feels more like a pause than the end of the story: Sky to Sea opens the door to countless new adventures. For now, however, it is time for a swim.
tu. tips
RIDING AT ALMOST 3,000 METRES
At 2,744 metres above sea level, Colle dell’Agnello is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the Alps. It connects the wild Queyras in France with Val Varaita in Italy, crossing a landscape where trees disappear and the mountains take over completely.
For centuries, this high passage was used by shepherds, traders and travellers moving between the two sides of the Western Alps. Today, the road follows the same natural opening between the peaks, but the real journey begins where the tarmac ends.
Up here, the air is thinner, the silence deeper and the scale of the landscape almost overwhelming. High-altitude singletracks cut across exposed slopes, rocky ridges and vast Alpine meadows beneath the unmistakable profile of Monviso.
It is the perfect place to begin Sky to Sea: standing between two countries, with almost 3,000 metres of mountain behind us and the Mediterranean still far beyond the horizon.
Trails unlimited - Guiding services & MTB coaching provided by:
Manuela Corsaro– VAT N° IT09287921218 – Certified MTB Guide (Liguria Region).
Stefano Scialli – VAT N° IT01756140081
– Certified MTB Guide (Piedmont & Liguria Regions) and FCI Certified Instructor.- Technical Travel Organization by our partner Tour Operator Siam Viaggi.