The International Climb to Fito is one of the classic tests of the European Hill Climb Championship, and for more than fifty years it has turned the surroundings of the Sueve into a symphony of colors and engines.
Motor sport lovers have an unavoidable appointment with their passion in the middle of each month of May.
The International Fito Climb is one of the most prestigious mountain climbing sports events in Europe, the only event in this category in Spain and scoring for the European Championship (Fía European Hill Climb Championship), and for the Spanish Hill Climb Championship. mountain climbs (CEM) and which brings together in Arriondas and neighboring councils (Cangas de Onís, Ribadesella, Piloña and Colunga) in the month of May more than 60,000 spectators during the two days of competition.
In its first editions (1970) it was held on the north face, having its base in the town of Colunga, but the growth of the event and logistical problems made the event venue change to the south face (1994), Arriondas, where is based today. Arriondas has larger areas to set up the important infrastructure that the event needs, and fundamentally much shorter distances between the work park and the competition area.
The test is supported by the FÍA (International Federation of
Motoring), the RFEDA (Royal Spanish Motoring Federation).
As well as the organizational collaboration of the FAPA (Automotive Federation of the Principality of Asturias)
It has a very high participation of more than 120 registered from all over Europe and Spain scoring for the European Championships, Spain of the specialty.
Both the north and south faces of the foothills of the Sierra del Sueve are ideal terrain for a high-level competition such as the International Fito Climb, which combines maximum difficulty, attractive scenery, boundless expectation —each edition brings together thousands and thousands of spectators—and, in addition, a great atmosphere of sportsmanship and celebration.
The International Climb to the Fito takes place on the northern slopes of the Sierra del Sueve, the Sierra is located in the Asturian councils of Colunga, Caravia, Ribadesella, Parres and Piloña. These are two contiguous mountain ranges, the Sueve whose highest peak is Picu Pienzu (1,161 m), and the Fitu with the highest peak of the same name, which has a viewpoint from which you can see a wide area both on the coast and inland and on whose access road the International Subida al Fito car race is held every year.
Three decisive days in May for the European and Spanish mountain championships
Three days in May with numerous riders from all over Spain and all over Europe in the International Climb to Fito, battling to reach a unique goal, in one of the oldest climbs in their speciality, scoring for the European and Spanish mountain championships... in the middle of one of the most beautiful mountains that gave the world the varied Asturian orography.
Sweet and calm, when she looks at the sea she presents us with the most glamorous and surfing beaches of Caravia and Colunga, and when she turns her gaze inland, she takes us down to Arriondas, a sporting and lively town where they exist, the cradle of Olympians, canoeists, fishermen, of pilots... of singular peasantry, and town where the closed park of this competition is located.
El Fito mixes the Asturian mountain cow with the large displacement prototypes of the race, the unusual passion unleashed by mountain climbs -one of the most unique experiences that can be experienced in Asturias- with a peaceful landscape, the smell of grass with that of the kitchens of Nacho Manzano or José Antonio Campoviejo —who also have some pilots… for something between the two they add three Michelin stars in their Casa Marcial and El Corral del Indiano restaurants in La Salgar and Arriondas respectively—.