France, Savoie, France
The roof of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a stark granite amphitheatre above 2700 metres.
Length
16 km
In miles
9.9 mi
Driving time
30 min
Atlas rating
9.6 / 10
The run
Val-d'Isere to Bonneval-sur-Arc, following the D902. Drive it in either direction, though the views usually favour the climb.
Season
Closed roughly October to June, highest paved pass in the Alps
Nearby
41 km away
Colle delle Finestre
A gravel topped final stretch of tight hairpins made famous by the Giro d'Italia.
51 km away
Col de la Madeleine
A punishing Tour de France staple threading pine forest to a panorama of the Vanoise peaks.
63 km away
Col du Galibier
The spine of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a relentless climb to one of driving's holiest summits.
65 km away
Col du Lautaret
A broad glacier flanked highway linking the Romanche and Guisane valleys beneath the Meije massif.
69 km away
Col de la Croix de Fer
Turquoise lakes and jagged aiguilles frame this classic crossing of the Grandes Alpes.
70 km away
Col d'Izoard
Hairpins through larch forest give way to the lunar Casse Deserte, a surreal high altitude finale.
Longer journeys