Where is Col des Champs?
France, europe
27.7 km
2,092 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: Col des Champs, a seriously epic mountain pass chilling at 2,092m (that's 6,863ft!) in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. You'll find it straddling the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes departments, right in the heart of the Mercantour National Park.
The road, known as the D78 (south side) and Route Départementale 2 (north), is fully paved, so no gravel worries there! But hold on, this isn't a smooth cruise. Expect a wild ride with tons of hairpin turns and a surface that's... well, let's just say "character-building".
Good news: It's generally open year-round. Bad news: being high in the Alps means winter weather can occasionally shut things down.
So, how long is this adventure? Clocking in at 27.7 km (17 miles), it stretches from Saint-Martin-d'Entraunes (Alpes-Maritimes) to the charming Colmars or Colmars-les-Alpes (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence).
And get ready for a workout! This road gets STEEP – we're talking a maximum gradient of 12% in places. Climbing from Saint-Martin-d'Entraunes is a 16.26 km slog, gaining 1,052 meters at an average of 6.5%. The Colmars side? A shorter but still challenging 12 km ascent, with an 842-meter gain and a 7% average gradient. Prepare for some stunning views and bragging rights!
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 27.7 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,092 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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