Stage 6 · Tortona → San Colombano
- Distance
- 80 km
- Elevation gain
- 1,110 m D+
- Difficulty
- Moderate-Challenging
- Surface
- 97% asphalt, 3% gravel · 43% on cycle routes
- Terrain
- Staffora Valley, Apennines
- Hospitality
- Hostel
GPX 1.1 file with the track, elevation and the abbeys as waypoints. Tracks are calculated on real roads and cycle routes (OpenStreetMap): check them on the ground before you set off.
Gravel variant: 80 km · D+ 1,360 m · 25% unpaved (main track: 3%)
Calculated with a profile that prefers gravel roads and dirt tracks (BRouter on OpenStreetMap data): more natural surface and less traffic, sometimes slower. Check it on the ground, especially after rain.
Stage map
Map of the stage Tortona → San Colombano: track, start, finish, places to stay and abbeys
Hover the profile to see the spot on the map
Tracks calculated on real roads and cycle paths (OpenStreetMap); elevations from SRTM data — to be checked on the ground
Main climb: Passo del Penice · 12.3 km at 5.5% (up to 1,137 m)
This stage on Komoot
The same track is on the project's Komoot profile: save it in the app and ride it with voice navigation.
Overview
A demanding stage that enters the Apennines for good. The route climbs the Staffora valley in the Oltrepò Pavese, touches Varzi and crosses the Penice Pass before dropping to Bobbio and the Abbey of San Colombano.
Notes from the road
The climb to the Penice grows calmly from Varzi, then tightens in the final hairpins. On weekends motorbikes crowd the wide, sunny road, hold the right margin with patience. Past Varzi fountains thin out, fill bottles before the real climb starts. The descent to Bobbio is fast and narrow, brake with judgement through the shaded bends. The Ponte Gobbo greets the bike in the late afternoon light.
What to see
Tortona historic centre, Staffora valley, Varzi with its medieval arcades, Penice Pass, Bobbio with the Ponte Gobbo, Abbey of San Colombano
Where to sleep
Hostel and foresteria in Bobbio (40-60€); B&B in Bobbio centre (55-75€); Staffora valley agriturismo (50-70€)
Where to eat
Salame di Varzi DOP, maccheroni alla bobbiese, Apennine cheeses, porcini mushrooms, roasted chestnuts
Tips
Demanding stage: 1,110m of climbing concentrated in the second half. Pace yourself. The descent from the Penice to Bobbio is fast and twisting. Check your bike before departure.
Water & supplies
Food shops in Salice Terme and Varzi, the last reliable resupply: the roughly 25 km of the Passo del Penice have no refreshment stops, with fountains only in the hamlets. Patchy phone coverage in the upper Staffora valley. In summer carry two bottles and tackle the climb in the cool hours.
Places to stay on this stage
- Camping Ponte Gobbocampsite
Via San Martino 4, Bobbio (PC)- Price:
- campsite rates, call ahead (0523 936927)
- Open:
- June–September (tent pitches)
- Facilities:
- showers, bar, sports grounds, access to the Trebbia river
- Source:
- campingpontegobbo.com
On the Trebbia, 2 km from the Abbey of San Colombano, below the Ponte Gobbo.
Abbeys on this stage
- Finish abbey: Abbazia di San Colombano
An amateur, non-profit project. The tracks are indicative: everyone rides independently, at their own risk.