The Colle del Quazzo (1090 m) is a
mountain pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...
in the
Ligurian Alps
The Ligurian Alps are a mountain range in northwestern Italy. A small part is located in France. They form the south-western extremity of the Alps, separated from the Apennine Mountains, Apennines by the Colle di Cadibona. The Col de Tende and the ...
(
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
). It connects
Garessio
Garessio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italy, Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southeast of Cuneo. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). ...
(
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
) with
Calizzano
Calizzano ( or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about west of Savona.
Calizzano borders the following municipalities: Bagnasco, Bardineto, Bormida, ...
(
Liguria
Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...
).
Geography

The pass stands between Bric Meriano (NW, 1.251 m) and Bric verdiola (SE, 1.154 m). It belongs to the
comune
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
of
Garessio
Garessio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italy, Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southeast of Cuneo. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). ...
and is located near its border with the
ligurian comune of
Calizzano
Calizzano ( or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about west of Savona.
Calizzano borders the following municipalities: Bagnasco, Bardineto, Bormida, ...
. The pass connects the high part of
Tanaro
The Tanaro (; ; ; ) is a long river in northwestern Italy. The river begins in the Ligurian Alps, near the border with France, and is the most significant right-side tributary to the Po in terms of length, size of drainage basin (partly Alpi ...
valley (North) with the valley of the
Bormida.
Road access
The pass can be reached from Garessio following the
SP nr.213. On the other side of the pass the road goes down till to the
Liguria
Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...
n border, where it takes the name of SP nr. 47 ''Calizzano - Garessio'' and ends in
Calizzano
Calizzano ( or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about west of Savona.
Calizzano borders the following municipalities: Bagnasco, Bardineto, Bormida, ...
.
Cyclist
Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...
s appreciate the climb because it crosses a pleasant
wood
Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
y area, car and truck traffic is very sparse and it offers some good views on the neighbouring mountains. The climb to Colle del Quazzo can be combined with
Colle San Bernardo
Colle San Bernardo (957 m) is a mountain pass in the Province of Cuneo (Italy).
Geography
The pass is located on the main chain of the Alps and connects Garessio with Erli and Albenga (Province of Savona), on the coast of Ligurian Sea. ...
and
Colle Scravaion thus making an interesting round-trip.
Colle del Quazzo is also frequented by motorcycle riders.
Hiking
From the Colle del Quazzo starts a pedestrian track leading to
Monte Spinarda, a popular hike both by summer and winter, when in case of snow is suitable for
snowshoe
Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...
s.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quazzo, colle del
Quazzo
Quazzo
Garessio