Lac des Estaris

Lac des Estaris

France, europe

Length

N/A

Elevation

2,578 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Lac des Estaris is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.578m (8,458ft) above the sea level, located  in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.

Located within the Réserve Naturelle du Cirque du Grand Lac des Estaris, the road to the summit is gravel. Only 4x4. It’s very steep and narrow. Impassable for 2 cars at the same time. Usually impassable from October to June.

Adventure along Breche du Grand Creux

Embark on a journey like never before! Navigate through our

to discover the most spectacular roads of the world

Drive Us to Your Road!

With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click

 to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.

Share this road

Road Details

Country
France
Continent
europe
Max Elevation
2,578 m
Difficulty
hard

Related Roads in europe

Col de Joux Plane is one of the six major passes of the French Alpshard

Col de Joux Plane is one of the six major passes of the French Alps

🇫🇷 France

# Col de Joux Plane: A Northern Alps Beast Worth the Suffering If you're hunting for one of France's most legendary cycling climbs, Col de Joux Plane needs to be on your radar. Sitting at 1,697m (5,567ft) in Haute-Savoie, near the Swiss border, this pass shares elite company with the Galibier, Izoard, and Alpe d'Huez as one of the six major peaks that define the French Alps cycling scene. The paved D354 connecting Morzine to the south and Samoëns to the north is deceptively short at 23.7 km (14.72 miles), but don't let that fool you—this road is a proper gut-check. From Morzine, you're looking at 10.9 km with 711m of elevation gain (6.5% average). From Samoëns? That's 11.6 km gaining 989m with a punishing 8.5% average. Some sections hit a brutal 15% gradient, and the road's narrow, often single-lane character makes it feel even more intense. Here's the kicker: the entire slope faces south. If you're planning a summer attempt, seriously get an early start or you'll be cooking in the heat with nowhere to hide. Reach the summit and you'll find Le Relais des Vallées bar and a parking area. Push a bit further on the gravel road north and you'll hit the true summit at 1,714m, where views of Mont-Blanc will make every painful pedal stroke worthwhile. Tour de France directors love throwing this at cyclists for a reason—it's relentless from either direction, but the Samoëns side is genuinely one of Haute-Savoie's toughest climbs. While it might not have the star power of its southern cousins, Joux Plane absolutely belongs in the conversation of Northern Alps legends.

Where is Mount Kaliakouda?hard

Where is Mount Kaliakouda?

🇬🇷 Greece

Okay, thrill-seekers, listen up! Mount Kaliakouda in Greece's Evrytania region is calling your name. This mountain pass punches way up to 1,741m (5,711ft) in the southern Pindus Mountains, making it one of the highest roads in the country. Now, let's be real: this isn't your Sunday drive. The 15 km (9.32 miles) stretch from Aniada to Stournara is entirely unpaved and seriously twisty. Think 70+ hairpin turns! The track can be rocky with flowing water creating tricky spots, plus the occasional hole and fallen rocks. Landslides happen, so keep your eyes peeled. Plan on 1 to 1.5 hours to conquer this beast. The road's impact on the landscape is noticeable, but the views? Totally worth it. Plus, you'll find a mountain shelter at the top. Just a heads up, though, this road is usually open, but snow can shut things down, sometimes even lasting into August. This area has some serious history too as it served as a resistance base in WWII. Adventure awaits!

Road D25Chard

Road D25C

🇫🇷 France

D25C is a very challenging mountain road located on the border of Aude department and Ariège department in southwestern France. The road runs entirely over 1.900m above the sea level. It’s asphalted but very narrow, impassable for 2 cars at the same time. The road creates a shorcut between The road is not plowed in winters. There’s a high risk of rock slides. The drive is pretty steep. It’s 550m long with an elevation gain of 72 meters. The average gradient is 13.09%. A challenging road to Col de Creu in the Pyrenees Crete de la Serre Thibaud Embark on a journey like never before! Navigate through our to discover the most spectacular roads of the world Drive Us to Your Road! With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click  to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.

Driving the Challenging Road to Chegem Waterfalls in Kabardino-Balkariamoderate

Driving the Challenging Road to Chegem Waterfalls in Kabardino-Balkaria

🌍 Russia

Okay, picture this: You're cruising through the heart of the Caucasus Mountains in Russia, south of Nizhnii Chegem. Destination? The breathtaking Chegem Waterfalls! These falls aren't your average cascade. They've been sculpted by water over millennia, carving their way through massive rock formations into a symphony of waterfalls of all shapes and sizes, some plunging as high as 50 meters! You'll find them at the meeting point of the Adai-Su, Sakal-Tup, and Kayaarty tributaries, where they join the Chegem River. The drive itself is an adventure. This 58.7 km (36.47 miles) stretch of road starts from the town of Chegem, the district's capital, and leads all the way to El'tiubiu. You'll wind through gorges carved by the Chegem River, with views that will leave you speechless in every season. Keep your eyes peeled! The road is fully paved but a bit on the narrow side, and Mother Nature has definitely left her mark with some wear and tear. But no worries, you can take a breather in the small hotel, cafe, and a market along the way, selling local handicrafts.