The Col des Gets is a gentle pass of 1,172 metres between the Giffre and Dranse valleys in the Haute-Savoie, linking the villages of Les Gets and Morzine, and it sits on the old Route des Grandes Alpes, the long road from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean. It is not a high or wild pass, but it is a handsome one, with rolling meadows, fir forests and wooden chalets, and the crest of the hills above it holds ski lifts that turn into mountain bike routes in summer.
Les Gets, a village of 1,300 residents, is pretty and a bit more relaxed than its neighbours, and holds a surprising attraction: a museum of mechanical music, with a collection of music boxes, automatons, barrel organs and fairground pieces, housed in an old building. Morzine, a larger resort town of about three thousand, has a lively centre, a variety of restaurants and fuel stations. The Portes du Soleil ski area, which spreads across the French and Swiss border, begins here, and in July and August mountain bikers fill the area, so do not be surprised to share the road with them.
The road from Cluses, which approaches from the valley, climbs through gorges and then onto open pastures with views of the Mont Blanc range in the distance, with a steady gradient and a number of bends. From Thonon-les-Bains, the start of the Grandes Alpes route on Lake Geneva, you climb gradually along the Dranse valley, through the Gorges du Pont du Diable, a deep and rocky cut with a roaring river beneath. The roads are well surfaced and marked, and the bends are open and easy, making it a pleasant ride rather than a challenging one.
The region is dairy country, famous for Abondance cows, with their reddish-brown coats and white faces, and for the cheeses made from their milk, notably Abondance, Reblochon and Tomme. Farm shops sell them directly, and a fondue or tartiflette is the natural lunch. The pass is open throughout the year in most conditions, though snow can cause delays in winter, and chains may be needed. Summer afternoons can bring thunderstorms, so start early and be prepared for a drop in temperature.