SUBARU FORESTER 4DVENTURE

Not being an expert in terms of dirt roads, I opt for some risk and decided to take on the Assietta and then tackle the Col du Sommeiller up to an altitude of 3,000 meters. An icy rain and a path covered with mud had other plans, but luckily I had chosen the right car.

Words Alessandro Marrone / Photos Daniél Rikkard

 

 

 

It has now become a fixed appointment on my calendar. By being careful to choose the days of late summer that are least besieged by tourists, I aim to check out those roads on which no sports car will ever be able to bring me. I’m talking about those majestic paths that hide in the wildest nature, where there is not even a bit of asphalt and where the traces of man are only those respectful footsteps left by those who want to unplug from an everyday life increasingly connected to a virtual world that does everything to make us forget that true beauty lies in simple things. It is in that almost surreal silence that the mind seems to rediscover sensations stunned by smartphones and computers and it is in those places that you would like to build up a tent and breathe this air that purifies body and soul as only the wildest mountain is able to do. Every year I make sure I recover my energy by experiencing an adventure that smells of real life.

 

 

 

It is logical that for such a task a vehicle simply suitable for tackling a dirt road is not enough, because as the most experienced know, the weather at high altitudes can change from one moment to the next and the journey we have planned this year will take us on the highest road in Europe, at over 3,000 meters. The adventure begins even before it properly starts, therefore, with the careful choice of the ideal car and this year I did not miss the opportunity to bring with me the maximum expression of the concept of outdoor according to Subaru, the new Forester 4dventure. After all, when we talk about Subaru, we are aware that we are relying on a vehicle that is not only extremely versatile and reliable, but capable of attacking roads and paths that would put any other SUV in deep troubles, but still it is also destined for a more civilized use, as perfectly able to extricate itself in that urban jungle that we have left behind by a few minutes.

 

 

 

The leg of the day before includes a quick briefing with the team that is joining me, dinner and some healthy relax moments before going to sleep, ready for an alarm set at the crack of dawn. Sauze d’Oulx has now become one of my favorite destinations, practically a stone’s throw from home, yet ideal for feeling immersed in another world thanks to that backdrop dotted with mountains. The next morning, as scheduled, the alarm clock pulls us out of bed and without the slightest hint of laziness we have a wonderful breakfast. Time to load the equipment and some heavier clothing than the summer period would suggest and we are on our way towards Susa, the ideal starting point to tackle the Strada dell’Assietta, one of today’s two main stages.

The dirt roads have a charm that cannot be described with simple words, let alone capture in photographs or video. What I learned, without calling myself an expert in this sense, is that the more you venture into nature and get away from the cities, the more you can feel part of it. In places like these it is important to make numerous stops and appreciate an uncontaminated world that teaches us how a flower can born at high altitude, how animals stock up on food for the winter season and how everything seems to be in harmony, to the point that few people we meet are always friendly and greet with a nod of understanding, precisely because they are probably experiencing the same things too.

 

 

 

You may say another Forester, but the reasons for this precise choice of mine are two: the 4dventure is a completely new version, which not only gives character thanks to aesthetic features that make it even more indicated for a young and dynamic public, but the ideal tool – grant me the term – for climbs of this kind. Secondly, not being a dirt roads expert, I wanted to rely on the solidity and design efficiency of a car that has always shown me that obstacles are only a point of view. Quickly returning to what makes the Forester 4dventure immediately distinguishable, it is in fact easy to identify this special set-up thanks to the 18″ wheels, glossy black front grille and the orange moldings that are also reproduced in the various badges and on panels inside the cockpit. The engine remains the mild-hybrid 4-cylinder that we have already driven on other occasions, a 2-liter that delivers 150 horsepower and a maximum torque of 194 Nm combined with a CVT automatic gearbox, perhaps not the best for sports use, but perfectly at ease in the city, on the motorway and especially when the inclinometer comes into play.

 

The first kilometers take us beyond Meana di Susa and slowly the colors and shapes of the mountain take over, presenting us the hairpin bends of the Colle delle Finestre. There is no longer any trace of tarmac and the initial dense vegetation leaves room for a strip of land that decisively climbs up the side of the mountain. The way up to an altitude of 2,178 meters has something special that makes it different from all the roads I have ever traveled. It is like immediately establishing a feeling of intimacy with the valley, with a deserted road that alternates narrow reams of hairpin bends that at times grant a view of disarming beauty. The morning has yet to end and we are already on the other side and ready to pass Pian dell’Alpe and point our nose upwards again, heading for the Strada dell’Assietta.

 

 

 

The stretch is much longer than the Colle just faced, but the width of the road and the numerous possibilities to stop allow you to continue in complete serenity and cross the few vehicles (mostly motorcycles and quads) coming from the opposite direction without incurring problematic maneuvers. These are over 30 km almost completely developed above 2,000 meters above sea level and certainly there is no shortage of panoramic points that require numerous stops allowing Daniél to capture the moment with his photographs. After a first bit accompanied by a weak sun that seemed to make space between some clouds, we arrive at an altitude of 2,472 m wrapped in a thin blanket of fog. The road, the sky above our heads and everything that goes beyond a dozen meters is white and thins out only a few hundred meters further, once we reach the Testa dell’Assietta.

 

 

 

The ground is mostly barren and bare of vegetation, the air is fresh and the wind becomes more and more insistent, so much so that we are forced to wear a jacket, distorting any belief that reaching the summit in August would have offered us a hot day off the conventional roads. Starting off and crossing the Colle Lauson we reach the Colle Blegier where we decide to stop for a packed lunch, taking advantage of a moment in which the clouds seem to have thinned out, letting a shy ray of sun filter to warm up the break that anticipates the final descent that would bring us closer to the next stage, as well as the final goal of our adventure.

A few more words about the Forester 4dventure are deserved here, since with road tires and without ever calling into question the X-mode we have climbed kilometers on more or less demanding dirt, all in the maximum comfort of a passenger compartment that renounces leather seats in favor of a water-repellent fabric that proves to be the best choice for the intended use for this specific model. The navigation system is finally effective and the on-board video cameras allow a providential vision on blind spots, essential in the most difficult passages, narrow between one ravine and the other. As for the engine and its hybrid technology, I confirm what was previously said, that is, that it should be exploited for its elasticity, preferring the sport mode only if you need to overtake. The X-mode then allows you to set its own operation depending on whether the ground is covered with snow/gravel or deep snow/mud. In any case, everything will seem extremely easy and you will get out of unthinkable situations without even realizing the effectiveness of this extraordinary traction system.

 

 

 

It is the moment of the spectacular Colle Basset and therefore time to go down towards the center of Sestriere, another renowned tourist resort, both in summer and above all in winter. There is no time to waste, the hours have passed quickly and we intend to put the flag on our next goal as well. In less than half an hour we are in Bardonecchia, discovering how easily the Forester has shaken off dust and gravel and shown that there seems to be no road on which it cannot demonstrate its integrity. We pass Les Issard, Rochemolles and soon we enter an alpine corner that makes the Strada dell’Assietta look like a joke for beginners. We took the road that leads up to an altitude of 3,009 meters (or 2,993 for the more fussy) to the top of the Col du Sommeiller, the highest road in Europe.

It is already late in the afternoon when we begin to toss around in the cockpit, overcoming a very bumpy first stretch of road which, due to the reduced width, requires us to stop several times to give way to the many off-road vehicles coming back from their climb. What is certain, especially judging by those vehicles, is that the Sommeiller is by no means to be taken lightly. We proceed at no more than 20-30 kph and after a few kilometers we finally reach the Scarfiotti Refuge, the last bastion of civilization left in this portion of world that seems truly abandoned by every living being. Last chance to go back or as the message clearly indicates on the sign next to the toll booth (€ 5.00) says: “Proceed at your own risk”. From here on we are on our own. It is 5.00 pm, the sun is still there, but unfortunately it is almost completely hidden by the thick blanket of clouds over our heads. I ask how many kilometers to the summit and I am told that there are about a dozen, but that due to the reduced pace it will take at least 45 minutes. Time to go then.

 

 

 

It seems having crossed a gate from which you can no longer return, but the spectacle that nature has in store for us is absurd. The mountains take on a completely different shape and when they are not crossed by a narrow waterfall they let the gaze slide up and then further up, where the rock merges with the gray of a sky that threatens rain and which maintains its warning some minute later. The temperature drops sharply and the rain soon turns into snow and then into ice. The road is getting narrower and narrower and in some hairpin bends it is even necessary to do a couple of maneuvers, especially in order to try staying as far away as possible from the edge of the road, which could be dangerously slippery and yielding due to the intensity of the rainfall. A quick glance at my travel companions and we proceed slowly for the few kilometers that separate us from the top and which seem infinite. Looking at the following hairpin bends I can see a couple of Unimogs descending in the distance as if they were fleeing from an invisible force. In the meantime, the icy rain that has brought the temperature down to 0 degrees is transforming the road into an indefinite white mantle that breaks under our slow progress.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, after an interminable succession of tight hairpin bends, we reach a flat stretch. The huge valley called Pian dei Frati is an ideal spot to stop and take care of the situation. My two companions are hesitant to say the least and given the warning of the sign a few kilometers earlier, they suggest that it is better to back off. Yet we are so close. A few more kilometers and we would be on top. The rain does not decrease and on the contrary it seems wanting to break into the cockpit, reducing the road to a real sea of ​​mud. In the meantime, the two Unimogs spotted before reach us and one of the passengers lowers the window inviting me to do the same. “Go back, the road is impassable, we are here by a miracle!” – a few simple words that reluctantly put an end to our climb. I take advantage of the clearing to maneuver in complete safety, with the tires hinting and skidding thus suggesting to turn X-mode on. Meanwhile, the two heavy vehicles have already disappeared into the indefinite grayness that is slowly enveloping the mountain.

 

 

 

The way down is perhaps even more frightening, with a road that is sometimes unrecognizable and that, between mud, puddles and the poor visibility granted by heavy rain, does not offer many points of reference. The watchword is caution and so we go down towards the refuge as carefully as possible. At this point it does not matter if we have not reached 3,000, the important thing is to go back to the base (a lesson I thought I had learned, but of which I will tell you about in the next issue, ed). The Sommeiller is the wildest mountain I have ever faced, with such unpredictable weather and such a strong and indifferent personality that it leaves no room for attempts. It does not forgive and makes it clear with a tangle of tight hairpin bends that seem to have multiplied compared to those traveled up. And then here is the building, the numerous 4x4s that have wisely decided not to tackle the mountain at the last lights of day and therefore a wider road that takes us back towards Bardonecchia, planning a second take on the Sommeiller for next year. As long as it agrees and allows us to conquer its summit.

 

 

 

4dventure therefore and never a name was more appropriate for an SUV that maintains comfort, practicality and a marked premium nature, but that knows what it takes to get the wheels dirty and reach places usually discretion of hard and pure off-road vehicles. The new Forester is the ultimate expression of Subaru’s philosophy, where safety on board meets fun and hybrid technology that provides a lightweight electric unit that, among many merits, makes the X-mode incredibly effective. Do not make the mistake of thinking that this is a simple variant. The accents that make the aesthetics even more appealing and that constant call to adventure are the rule that elevates this model to a new way of understanding an SUV, a different way of driving and above all the best way to experience adventures.

 

SUBARU FORESTER 4DVENTURE

Engine 4 cylinder Mild-Hybrid, 1.995 cc Power 150 hp Torque 194 Nm

Traction All-Wheel-Drive Transmission CVT Automatic Gearbox Weight 1.765 kg

0-100 kph 11,8 sec Top Speed 188 kph Price €42.500