Stella Alpina Rally?
 

Hi all, I just found out about this Rally in Bardoncchia Italy on the second weekend of July. Just watched some youtube clips and done a little light reading on it and looks great. I was planning a trip around that area around that time so it just seems I need to see what its all about.
Has anyone else done it or is anyone planning it this year?

I was there around 4 years ago. View from the top is nice. It´s amazing to see what kind of bikes people take to the top (not all of them are enduros or dual sport bikes :) )

stella
 

hi I have been attending the stella on and of for the last 30 years a gathering of independent souls in a beautiful alpine village it should be on every adventures bucket list

Im looking forward to it, I saw on youtube some guy taking a GSXR 600 to the top, fair play lol!
So if I set the old sat nav for Bardoncchia to arrive on the Friday evening, would it be obvious where to go to get to the base camp area?

stella rally
 

not very obvious BUT if you stand facing the railway station the road heading left will take you through a small tunnel immediately on the left on exiting the tunnel a road passing hotel sommelier take this road heading for Rochemelle past the village the road ends and trail starts about 3km climbing brings you to the wild camping site,if its too wet,windy,snowing back to the station this time head right,straight on at the3 roundabouts heading for Melzet proper campsite with all the usual facilities

Thanks for the tips, iv been looking on google maps and street view and watched some videos of the approach. And now with your tips I think I will get there. Im sure I will be able to follow other bikers as well.

Just to pick this up again, I realised yesterday that when the Stella is on in a couple of weeks time I'm going to be in the area so it would be silly not to go along.

However I know nothing about it, other than it's in Bardonecchia. Would anyone be able to post up some info - stuff like:

Is there a structure to the rally - like is there a fixed venue (like the Elephant rally) and if so, where?

Do you have to pre book or can you just turn up? I don't need accommodation as I'll be based about an hour or so away.

Is the ride up the Col marked from the centre of town- and which way is it anyway. Is it like an 11.00am start for everyone or can you just go when you wake up?

I'll be coming from the Briancon direction, probably early on the Sunday morning. Is it worth my while turning up on the Saturday other than to admire bikes and drink Grappa.

Lastly, anyone else from the UK going and if so what have you arranged. I'm going to be on my ancient 125 pink Suzuki so should be easy to spot.

None of the above BackofB.
The joy of the Stella A is that no one owns it; just go there and follow the crowds - go where ever your nose takes you.

The information above about the Hotel Sommelier (which is also the name of the peak/col at the top of the mountain where the track ends) is accurate.

Bikes turn up over the preceeding days; all depends on their own travel plans. By the Saturday the town is full of bikes and riders; by the Monday the town looks empty in comparison.
it is always on the second Sunday in July and this is the 50th year.

I had the privelage of meeting one of the two founders - the Brit guy - a few years ago; he turned up in a car from his place in France and walked with the aid of a Zimmer frame; the message is, go there while you are still able!

Mario Artusio was the other "founder"; no idea where he is nowadays.

ps yes, ride the track all day or whatever suits you.
Reputedly, it is opened by the Italians for about a week for this event; it is a walking route otherwise.
Watch out for the "crossers" who take their bikes there in vans - not part of the ethos.

http://www.stella-alpina.fsnet.co.uk

The origional ethos was to ride a bike to bardo then ride it to the highest point were the snow becomes too deep to collect your rally badge then ride it home,for a lot of us this still endures. Mario attends by car he is growing frail but still gets there evrey year, the 3 days after the rally a safari takes place were guides take groups into the high alps for days adventure riding ,and yes all sorts of machines go up from the occasional gsx to vintage trials and the tossers on crossers, wont be there this year am riding back from istanbul as i write
Leo

Many thanks for that, most appreciated - and a particular thanks to Bertrand who, amongst other things, sent me a set of sat-nav coordinates for the route from Bardo to the top of the col. They work perfectly on Google maps so I've now seen where the route goes and I've just got to figure out how to get them onto my somewhat low rent hacker special TomTom set up. I'll do that as soon as I can remember where I put it :(

I also found a couple of old (80's) bike mags with ride reports about the Stella so if I can't do it now it won't be through a lack of info :rofl:

With all the mention of "cheating" with MX bikes etc I'd guess I should leave the snow chains behind then.:whistling: I don't think they'd help anyway as it'll be a miracle if I can get the bike up to anywhere near 9000ft. :rofl:

Incidentally, the reports in the old mags considered even trail bikes to be cheating - it had to be a "road" bike + road tyres.

A mini adventure as the adverts used to say. I'll post up how it worked out when I get back in a couple of weeks.

Correct.

You will see any amount of "collectable" bikes up there.
+ Sidecar combos, bandit 1250s etc etc.

Camping takes place at various locations, especially near water courses, and the Italian guy who sells the souvenir badges gets up there in a van; he sells the commemorative badges for a goodly amount but, IIRC, the price includes a panini.
He will be at the Refuge area and there will be many bikes and campers there; not all ride to the top from there, depending on the snow line this year for instance - the track becomes more knarly thereafter.

You won't need GPS; the track is funnelled by the mountains, increasingly so toward the col.

I'm going ,where you fromSent from my SM-T560 using Tapatalk

Sadly, Mario passed away a couple of years ago.