It took some time to find the road to Norcia because the new freeway and subsequent road changes postdated our map.

Most of the traffic goes through a tunnel that bypasses this mountain road so it was quiet, scenic and in excellent condition.

After 15 km or so we dropped back down to the valley on the other side and rejoined the traffic. The road was busy, narrow and winding with big trucks towing trailers. We detoured through Triponzo to avoid the long tunnel.

We found that the road shown on our map had been closed when the tunnel made it redundant, but it was still possible to get our bikes through.

It may not be passable for much longer, the cliffs are gradually collapsing on to it.

The are several tunnels on the road to Norcia, they are nerve-wracking, narrow and dark. We waited at the entrance until the road was clear and then sprinted through, hoping to reach the end before a truck caught up.

We were relieved we had managed to bypass the several kilometers long tunnel.

If you take this route make sure you have good lights, including a front light with a strong beam, the tunnels are dark.