The Col de Vars is the gentle one on the Route des Grandes Alpes, and it knows how to be pleasant. At 2,108 metres it separates the Guil valley from the valley of the Ubaye, linking Guillestre in the Hautes-Alpes to Barcelonnette on the other side, and from the top you look over rounded grassy slopes, scattered larches and a few farm buildings, with the jagged peaks of the Queyras and the Mercantour at a respectful distance. It lacks the savage edges of the higher passes, and is better for it on a warm day, when the grass smells of thyme and the cowbells carry on the wind.
The climb from Guillestre is long, steady and open, with sweeping bends and a few hairpins near the top, while the descent to Jausiers is a flowing run through larch forest and meadows with good surface and wide corners. On the way up you may pass the ski resort of Vars, a bit worn in summer, and the small chalets and mountain farms of the high pastures. Marmots whistle from the rocks near the road, and in early summer the hillsides are covered with alpine flowers. Because the pass is lower than many on this route, it opens earlier in spring, usually by late May, and stays open later in autumn, but snow can fall at any time of year.
Near Guillestre, at Mont-Dauphin, is the star-shaped fortress that Louis XIV's engineer Vauban built to guard the frontier, now on the UNESCO list with a dozen other Vauban sites. It is a reminder that these passes were once important military routes as well as trade routes. Barcelonnette, on the other side, has a surprising Mexican heritage, since many of its residents emigrated to Mexico in the nineteenth century, returning with fortunes and building colourful villas.
A small cafe or snack stand sometimes operates at the summit in season, but do not rely on it. The best time to ride is early morning or in the evening, when light is warm and traffic at its thinnest, though weekends in July and August are busy with cyclists, as it is a favourite of the Tour de France.