Col d’Entre les Tetes
France, europe
N/A
2,760 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, buckle up, adventure junkies! Col d’Entre les Tetes, nestled way up in the French Alps (Rhone-Alpes, Isère département to be exact), hits a whopping 2,760m (9,055ft) above sea level.
This isn’t your typical Sunday drive, folks. Think of it as a chairlift access trail, more suited for an all-terrain vehicle. This winding track is often stony, dusty, steep, and seriously challenging. It's signposted as a mountain bike course but even heavy vehicles use it! Expect some ridiculously steep ramps that will test your strength and your vehicle's lowest gear.
Typically open in the summer months, be prepared for some serious wind – it’s a constant companion up here. And don't be surprised by snow, even in summer! Winter temps are brutally cold. This ski-station service road features gradients of up to 30% in places! The views, though? Totally worth it.
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Max Elevation
- 2,760 m
- Difficulty
- hard
Related Roads in europe
moderateWhere is Route 34?
🌍 Faroe Islands
Okay, picture this: Route 34, winding through the northern part of Suðuroy, that's the southernmost island in the Faroe Islands. You're cruising for about 13.4 kilometers (around 8.3 miles), starting from Trongisvágur – nestled at the end of Trongisvágsfjørður on the east coast – and heading north to Sandvík, the island's northernmost village. This road is your connection between Trongisvágur and Sandvík, slicing right through Suðuroy. Get ready for some serious mountain scenery, and a few tunnels thrown in for good measure. Yup, Route 34 is all paved, but keep an eye out for some narrow spots and potential rockfalls. Conditions can change quickly with the weather and how busy it is. Speaking of tunnels, there are two main ones. First up, the new Hvalbiartunnilin! Opened in 2021, it's a spacious 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) long with two lanes and plenty of headroom. This replaced the old Hvalbiartunnil, which just wasn't cutting it anymore for today's traffic. The new tunnel's located just north of the old one, with freshly built roads leading up to it. Then there's the Sandvíkartunnilin, built back in 1970, but still going strong and getting you to Sandvík. The original Hvalbiartunnilin was the very first road tunnel in the Faroe Islands, but it was small, dark, and only had one lane. It was bypassed in 2021 by a new section of road and the new tunnel. The old tunnel has been fenced off. The new tunnel was built to accommodate larger vehicles.
hardWhere is Puerto de la Sia?
🇪🇸 Spain
Okay, so picture this: you're cruising through northern Spain, right on the border between Cantabria and Castile and León. You stumble upon this insane mountain pass called Puerto de la Sia – or maybe you know it by its other name! First off, the views from the top are unreal. There's a little parking area and this old, abandoned mountain hut. Adventurous types can even tackle a super narrow, bumpy dirt track that heads east from the summit to another spot. That little side trip is only about 3 miles but gets you even higher. The main road itself is paved but seriously narrow in places. It's known as one thing on the Cantabria side and another on the Castile and León side. Get ready for some serious climbs, the gradient gets pretty intense in spots! The road is usually open year-round, but winter can be a wild card – it might get closed temporarily due to bad weather. The whole stretch is about 3 miles, winding from Espinosa de los Monteros, a super cute village, up and over the mountains. Trust me, you won't forget this drive anytime soon!
extremeWhere is Mont Ventoux?
🇫🇷 France
Mont Ventoux! Situated in France's Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, this iconic peak soars to 1,912m (6,273ft). The road to the top, D974, is an amazing drive tucked inside the Mont Ventoux Natural Regional Park. Leaving from Bédoin, the 21.4 km (13.29 miles) route takes you through incredible scenery. The road opened in 1900! After the Chalet Reynard ski station, it gets a little steeper. The last 6 km wind through a treeless, lunar-like landscape. Nicknamed the "Giant of Provence" or "The Bald Mountain", it's notorious for its crazy winds. They can hit speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph)! In fact, winds over 90 km/h (56 mph) are common over 240 days a year! The road is usually open from mid-April to mid-November, but weather can close it anytime. Expect strong winds, especially near the summit. This climb is tough, with exposed conditions, heat, and wind! It's considered one of France's most challenging. It takes most people 30-45 minutes to drive straight up, but you'll probably want to stop and take some photos of the incredible views. The view stretches for miles, and on a clear day, you can see the Mediterranean and even Mont Blanc! Be warned though, this is a popular spot and can be very crowded. Starting in Bédoin, the climb is 21.4 km long, with a whopping 1,639 meters of elevation gain and average gradient of 7.6%. Some ramps hit nearly 13%!
hardWhere is Alto del Hornillo?
🇪🇸 Spain
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Let's talk about Alto del Hornillo, a wild ride nestled high in the Teruel province of Spain. Where exactly? Picture this: Aragón, that eastern slice of Spain, hiding a seriously awesome mountain pass. Now, the road… oh, the road! Forget smooth tarmac; we're talking pure, unadulterated off-road action. You'll DEFINITELY want a 4x4 for this one. From Valdelinares (the highest town in mainland Spain!), it’s just shy of 4 miles to the top. Don't let the short distance fool you. You'll be climbing nearly 1,000 feet along the way! A word of warning: winter ain't your friend here. Being so high up in the Sierra de Gúdar mountains, snow and ice often shut this road down completely. But is it worth it? Absolutely! The views are insane. Think panoramic vistas of the Sierra de Gúdar, the cute towns of Valdelinares and Mosqueruela, the Valdelinares ski resort, and the whole Maestrazgo area stretching out before you. Trust me; your camera will thank you.