Route des Grandes Alpes: Col de l Iseran to Col de Vars

Col de l Iseran to Col de Vars, over 2764 m · one way, about 290 km back to the start

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Why this ride

A one-way ride of 290 km, Val-d'Isère to Embrun - roughly 4 h 04 in the saddle. The stops in between: Col du Galibier and Col d Izoard. The highest point is 2,764 m. Col du Galibier, Col d Izoard and Col de Vars are subject to seasonal closure - check it is open before you set off. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.

Roadbook

1. Col de l Iseran start · 2764 m

   The Iseran is the roof of the Alps, as far as paved passes go. At 2,764 metres, it is the highest of the great Alpine passes, a shade above the Stelvio, and the road over it was opened in 1937 to link the Tarentaise valley with the Maurienne, a feat of engineering that took years of work in short summers. It goes through the heart of the Vanoise National Park, France's first, created in 1963 to protect the ibex, which had been almost wiped out by hunters, and the park's work has been a success, as there are thousands now.

   From Val-d'Isère, the road climbs through bare, glacier-carved terrain in big, open hairpins, with the peaks of the Vanoise glittering above, and the grass gives way to rock and old snow. The summit is a small, windy plateau with a stone chapel and a monument, and a marker to pose with. Beyond it, the south side drops towards Bonneval-sur-Arc, one of the loveliest villages in France, with stone houses and slate roofs. The surface is variable, and even in summer, you can find snow, ice or cold fog at the top. In June and often in autumn, the road may be closed by snow, and it is generally shut from about November until June.

   Weather at this altitude is no joke. Temperatures can be ten degrees below those in the valley, and storms form quickly in the afternoon. A windproof layer and warm gloves are essential. On a clear day, however, the visibility is spectacular, with the Grande Casse, the highest point entirely within the Vanoise, and the glaciers of the Haute Maurienne visible on the south. You may well see marmots, and if you are lucky, ibex on the rocks.

   Fuel is available in Val-d'Isère and Tignes on the northern side, and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, thirty kilometres away, has the full range of services. On the southern side, the villages are tiny, so make sure you have enough fuel for the descent to Lanslebourg. In season, a small stand near the top may sell hot drinks, but do not rely on it. Ride early, avoid weekend crowds, and remember that on this one, the point is the height.

2. Col du Galibier scenic · 2642 m

   The Galibier is the big one, and it knows it. At 2,642 metres this is one of the high gates of the French Alps, the saddle where the Maurienne valley to the north hands you over to the Guisane and the Briançonnais to the south, and the road crosses it by way of a short tunnel under the actual crest, or, for those who want the proper view, by the final few hundred metres of open hairpin that go over the top. The summit marker stands on the old crest, with a monument to Henri Desgrange, the founder of the Tour de France, who first sent the race over this pass in 1911. Cyclists still turn up in swarms to touch the sign, so expect lycra and an unhurried pace.

   From the north you climb from Valloire, past the Col du Télégraphe, a gentle warm-up through forest, and then the landscape strips off its trees and turns to bare scree, rock and sky. From the south you rise out of the Guisane valley through Le Monêtier-les-Bains and the stunted larch above the village, then across the broad bowl below the Lautaret. The south side is the more open and fast, the north the more intimate, but both are well graded, wide enough for a big bike and rewarded with views toward the Meije and the glaciers of the Écrins when the cloud allows.

   Do not treat it as an all-year road. The Galibier closes with the winter snow and typically only opens around early summer, then shuts again around October, so check before planning anything near the edges of the season. The weather can change in twenty minutes at this height, so put on a layer at the top even if you rode up in a T-shirt, and watch for wet patches in the shaded hairpins where snow lingers into July.

   Valloire and Le Monêtier are small villages, so if the tank is anywhere near half, fill up in the valley before you start; the nearest bigger town to the north is Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, with Briançon beyond the Lautaret on the other side. At the top there is usually a seasonal café or refreshment stand in the warm months, which does the job for a hot drink and a sandwich, but do not count on it being open early in the day.

   Stay a few minutes. The air is thin, the colours are chalk, rust and green, and the marmots near the road whistle at you like annoyed neighbours.

3. Col d Izoard scenic · 2360 m

   The Col d'Izoard, at 2,360 metres, is one of the great passes of the French Alps, on the road between Briançon and the Queyras, and the south side is the part riders remember. A few kilometres below the summit the road passes through the Casse Déserte, a startling field of orange and grey scree and rock pinnacles, eroded into odd shapes, which looks more like the surface of another planet than the Alps. In front of it stands a monument to the cyclists Fausto Coppi and Louison Bobet, who both won here in the Tour de France, and the Tour has crossed the pass many times.

   The north side, from Briançon, begins in the Guisane and Cerveyrette valleys, among larch forests and meadows, and climbs through the hamlet of Cervières before reaching the summit by a series of wide, easy bends. The south side drops through Arvieux into the Guil valley, with views over the Queyras, a region known for its sunny weather, its old wooden farmhouses and the fortified village of Mont-Dauphin below. Briançon, a town of about eleven thousand, is the highest city in France at some 1,326 metres, with Vauban's fortifications dominating the old town, a UNESCO site, and plenty of fuel and restaurants.

   Riding it is a delight. The surface is generally excellent, the gradients are moderate, and the corners are open and flowing, which lets you relax and look at the scenery. In midsummer, traffic builds with cyclists, motorcyclists and campervans, and the best time is early morning or late afternoon, when the light is long and low on the rocks. At the top there is a small refuge-like café and a viewing table with a panorama of the surrounding peaks, though services are limited, so do not count on fuel.

   Snow closes the pass from about November until late May or June, depending on the year, and the local authority publishes opening dates, so check before you set off. Even in July, the summit can be cold and windy, and sudden thunderstorms and hail are possible in the afternoon. A windproof layer and warm gloves are sensible, and bring water, as the south side is hot and dry in summer.

4. Col de Vars finish · 2108 m

   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.

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