Col de l'Iseran

Col de l'Iseran is a very high mountain pass in France, sitting at 2,764 metres (9,068 ft) above sea level. It is the highest paved road pass in the Alps and is part of the beautiful Graian Alps. This pass is found in the area called Savoie, close to where France meets Italy.

The pass is part of a special driving route called the Route des Grandes Alpes. It links two valleys: the valley of the Isère, also known as Tarentaise, and the valley of the Arc River, called Maurienne. You can travel from Val-d'Isère in the north to Bonneval-sur-Arc in the south through this pass.

On the north side of Col de l'Iseran lies a well-known ski resort called Tignes – Val d'Isère. Because of heavy snow, the road is only open during summer. In winter, people use ski slopes and lifts to move around.

Hikers can also reach the Col de l'Iseran through mountain paths. It is the highest point on two long walking trails: the Alpine GR 5, which runs from Lake Geneva to Nice, and the Grande Traversée des Alpes. The path down to the south has steep drops and waterfalls and enters the Vanoise National Park.

Details of the climb

From the north, the road to Col de l'Iseran goes up and down through short tunnels and passes near the Lac du Chevril close to Tignes. The climb from Bourg-Saint-Maurice is 48 km long, rising 1,955 m in height, with an average slope of 4.1%. The last part of this climb, starting at Val-d'Isère, is especially steep.

From the south, the climb starts at Lanslebourg-Mont Cenis and is 32.9 km long, rising 1,371 m with an average slope of 4.2%. The final part, beginning at Bonneval-sur-Arc, climbs 977 m over 13.4 km, with some very steep sections.

On both sides of Col de l'Iseran, special markers show the distance to the top, the current height, and the slope ahead.

The Tour de France

The Col d'Iseran has been an important part of the Tour de France bicycle race. It was first used in the race a long time ago, and famous riders have raced over it. The pass has been included in the Tour many times, though sometimes weather has made some stages shorter.

In recent years, the Tour has gone over Col de l'Iseran again, but sometimes the weather made the routes shorter.

Appearances in Tour de France