
Col du Jovet
France, europe
N/A
2,404 m
hard
Year-round
# Col du Jovet: A High-Alpine Adventure
Ready for a serious mountain challenge? Col du Jovet sits at a serious 2,404m (7,887ft) in France's Savoie department, and trust me, this isn't your average scenic drive.
Here's the deal: the road is gravel, narrow, and genuinely steep—we're talking almost 2,000 metres of climbing with relentless hairpins through some seriously remote territory. Winter? Forget about it. This pass shuts down completely when the snow arrives.
The journey starts off decent enough from Les Plaines. You'll snake through quiet, hairpin-heavy roads until you hit Notre-Dame-du-Pré around 1,270m. But here's where things get real: once you pass the 1,835m mark, the pavement disappears and the gravel madness begins. The final push to the summit is absolutely brutal—wild, steep, and seriously exposed.
If you're not feeling the full send, at least push to the Refuge du Mont Jovet. That section is in reasonable condition and gives you a taste of the drama without the most intense exposure. But if you've got the nerve and a capable vehicle, the complete ascent offers a truly unforgettable alpine experience with some of the most dramatic hairpins you'll find anywhere.
This is peak French mountain territory—isolated, challenging, and utterly spectacular.
Where is it?
Col du Jovet is located in France (europe). Coordinates: 46.6657, 1.7609
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Max Elevation
- 2,404 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 46.6657, 1.7609
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