Pramand Road: Pramand Fort – “Gallery of the Saracens” – Fort Jafferau – Fort Foëns – Savoulx MTB

La Road Fenil-Pramand-Foëns-Jafferau with The Seguret or “Dei Saraceni” Tunnel is a scenic and spectacular road that winds along the orographic left side of the Dora upstream of Exilles and “looks” mirroring the westernmost part of the Assietta ridge is a panoramic route of extraordinary tourist importance with high historical and cultural value.

Rolling Road No. 79 Fenil-Jafferau, was built beginning in 1890 to connect with the valley floor the Fenil, Pramand, Föens and Jafferau batteries, built for the strategic defense of the Bardonecchia basin, with a useful artillery barrage view at Pramand on the descent from Cesana on Oulx.

The original road in 20 kilometers and over 1,700 m. of altitude difference climbed up to the Jafferau Fort at an elevation of 2,775 m. (the second highest fort in Europe after the Chaberton Battery); the other 12 kilometers of branches reach on the original treaty the Pramand Battery (elevation 2,162 m) and Fort Foëns (2,177 m.), for a total development of 32 km. The route started from the first hairpin bend where SS.24 is today on the Serre le Voute landslide in Salbertrand.

The Pramand Battery is reached by a short branch-off of about 1.3 km from the esplanade of Colletto Pramand at 2087 m., turning left. Thus a short ascent leads to the remains of the Pramand Battery at an altitude of 2,106 m. and its 4 rotating turrets: an incredible vantage point over the entire Upper Susa Valley and the 4,000 French Meije and Ècrins. An equally fascinating scenery with a 360° view will be had at the 2,775 meters of the Jafferau Battery reached after passing the tunnel, passing the fork in the falsopiano for Fort Foëns and ascending after long traverses over the watershed of the Valle Fredda to the Colletto Basset with a 180° bend.

The real jewel and the main feature of “Military Road 79” is precisely the spectacular Seguret or Pramand Tunnel, also known as the “Gallery of the Saracens“, a good 876 meters long and dug in a curve under the limestone spires of Mount Seguret between the two Great Wars.

The one-piece, U-shaped excavated structure is unmatched by any other military rolling stock in the Western Alps.

The excavation of the tunnel was started in 1924 and took 4 years of work, until 1929,; it became essential even then to protect the military carriageway from the fragility of the slope, pure dolomite rock, falling boulders and debris from the walls above, and from fallout water.

The access/exit route to the west is the dirt track section, a track about 8.4 km long made after the war that after about 7 km without major changes in level (around 2100 m.), with some steep switchbacks then reaches into the territory of the Municipality of Bardonecchia around 1900 m. the paved road Bardonecchia, Millaures, Jafferau reservoirs.

Approach by own means and departure from Fenil is recommended for the proposed Tour:. From Fort Jafferau it is also possible to descend on a dirt road along the ski slopes and reach Bardonecchia from the Fregiusia Basins area, or from Fort Foëns continuing westward and reaching the same paved road. The proposed trail, on the other hand, involves a long, all dirt descent from Foëns to the village of Savoulx. In either case using a departure transfer, it is possible to use the train to return to Susa, in case I do not have motorized transportation available.