Southern side:
France, europe
11.5 km
1,284 m
extreme
Year-round
Okay, so you're heading to the French Alps? Buckle up, because Col de la Charmette is a wild ride! This mountain pass sits pretty high at 1,284 meters (that's 4,212 feet!), nestled in the Chartreuse Alps between Chambéry and Grenoble.
There are two ways to tackle this beast. First, there's the D105 from Saint-Égrève. It's paved, but hold onto your hats – this 11.5 km (7.14 mile) stretch is seriously narrow and seriously steep. We're talking gradients hitting a whopping 17.1% in places! You'll climb 1026 meters in total, averaging almost 9%.
But for the truly adventurous (and maybe slightly crazy), there's the old Route Forestière de la Charmette. This one's only 10km (6.21 miles), but it's a mix of paved and unpaved sections and definitely not for the faint of heart. Picture this: hairpin turns, crazy drop-offs, huge potholes, and even unlit tunnels! This road starts near the Gorges du Guiers Mort; keep your eyes peeled for a tiny, unsigned road on the right as you head out of St-Laurent-du-Pont. You'll pass the Chartreuse de Curière monastery, and then the real adventure begins. Just a heads up, this road was abandoned in the 90s, so expect some degradation and maybe a few rocky surprises along the way.
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 11.5 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,284 m
- Difficulty
- extreme
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