Col du Galibier from Valloire (North side)
The Col du Galibier (el. 2,642 metres (8,668 ft)) is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the eighth highest paved road in the Alps. It connects Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Briançon via the col du Télégraphe and the Col du Lautaret. The pass is closed during the winter. It is located between the massif d’Arvan-Villards and the massif des Cerces, taking its name from the secondary chain of mountains known as the Galibier. Before 1976, the tunnel was the only point of passage at the top, at an altitude of 2556 m. The tunnel was closed for restoration until 2002, and a new road was constructed over the summit. The re-opened tunnel is a single lane controlled by traffic lights, which are among the highest such installations in Europe. This north side is used as penultimate climb in one of the most famous cyclosportives: La Marmotte.
Region: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
City: Valloire
Distance: 16.66 km
Elevation Gain: 1132 m
Elevation Loss: 0 m
Difficulty: 924 (Hard)
FIETS Index: 7.3 FIETS
Avg Grade: 6.62 %
Max cat climb: HC
Min elevation: 1488 m
Max elevation: 2620 m
Ride Category: Climb