30 juni, 2024
The Salt Road
The Roya Valley follows the French-Italian border near Tende and through the southern Alps from the Mediterranean at Ventimiglia, Italy. A valley rich in trails that have been the lifelines and arteries that connect valleys to valleys for centuries.
In ‘The Salt Road’, we tell the story of Gibi – a local who resides in a house that's only accessible via trail.
The house itself is located on what’s now known as ‘Gibi’s Trail’ by local mountain bikers. Gibi is a modern day ‘case study’ of the reason such trails exist; a cheerful character with many interesting tales of travel and adventure in such a historical location.
He maintains the trail in order to be able to access his home year round.
Without the house there would be no trail, without the trail there would be no house and in the maze of the modern world, his wisdom of the trails is as essential as ever.
Originally hailing from the champagne region of eastern France, Gibi was 20 years old when he was passing through through The Roya Valley on his way to Greece for a holiday.
It was his first big trip, and he stumbled upon the village of Saorge accidentally, immediately falling in love with the beauty of the place.
It really made an impression on him, so he repeatedly returned whenever the opportunity arose.
“In the 1600’s this town was bigger than Nice. The rest of it was just coast and marshes, it was all dirty, full of mosquitos.”
Gibi’s passion for the area is present whenever he speaks about local history. He explains that in the 1650’s and early 1700’s there wasn’t a main road through the valley, therefore the trail was the only way to get from Nice to Turin.
As a result, the route has served many workers and travellers; from the military trade, farm labourers, winemakers, salt carrying mules and school pupils commuting via foot to name a few.
To think that explosives weren’t in use during the time the trails were created, and they were carved completely by hand using pickaxes and shovels, makes it even more impressive.
Over the 50 years of Gibi living in the area, he worked out that he’s walked approximately 40 thousand kilometres on the trail.
He laughs when thinking how far he’s travelled over the years, pointing out that he’s walked the distance of the entire world without even leaving this single trail.
His knowledge has helped countless others navigate the sometimes unforgiving landscapes. In recent years, he’s been a key character in pointing migrants in the ‘right direction’ as they journey over mountains from Italy into France in search of a new life.
Occam
Orbea ambassadors Joris and Julien chose to ride the Occam, a versatile trail bike that’s as comfortable on rough, big mountain descents as it is on technical climbs.
“There isn’t anyone who wouldn’t be moved by this”. There’s no denying the beauty of the scenic landscapes. A lot has changed over the years since these trails were first created, but the shared love of the area and the joy these trails bring to locals, travellers and mountain bikers alike, will continue to ensure that these trails will continue to be used, maintained and loved for many generations to come.
TRAILHEADS
Joris Pannetier
Orbea Ambassador
Joris Pannetier is no stranger to The Roya Valley – he thrives off long days in the saddle, enjoying nothing more than riding dusty trails in his local area.
Joris is a rider for Ride Roya, where he guides visitors with his unmatched knowledge of the location’s trails, as well as being handy on the tools building trails when he’s not on his bike. Joris oozes style, no matter how rough the terrain is he’s tackling his riding always looks so effortless.
Julien Boix
Orbea Ambassador
Julien Boix is an Orbea ambassador thrives on competition, but also just enjoys riding for the pure love of it.
The 21 year old from France is just as handy behind a camera lens creating unique content as he his on his bike. He’s a fast rider with a racers eye for detail. Julien has mostly been riding his Rallon recently on big mountain adventures, but he also loves the freedom of a playful session on his Laufey hardtail.