Col de l'Iseran

Mountain pass in the French Alps

Col de l'Iseran (el. ) is a mountain pass in France, the highest paved pass in the Alps. A part of the Graian Alps, it is in the department of Savoie, near the border with Italy, and is crossed by the D902 roadway. The pass is part of the Route des Grandes Alpes. It connects the valley of the Isère (Tarentaise) and the valley of the Arc River (Maurienne) between Val d'Isère in the north and Bonneval sur Arc in the south. On the northern side is the popular Tignes – Val d'Isère ski resort. The pass is only accessible by road during the summer months. In the winter it can only be accessed by a series of pistes and ski lifts. The Col is also accessible by off road mountain paths and is the highest point both of the Alpine GR 5, a long distance trail from Lake Geneva to Nice, and of the similar Grande Traversée des Alpes. The steep descent to the south, notable for its waterfalls, enters the Vanoise National Park here.

From the north the road goes up and down through short tunnels and avalanche galleries past the Lac du Chevril near Tignes. Starting from Bourg Saint Maurice, the climb to Col de l'Iseran is Over this distance, the road (D 902) ascends , at an average grade of 4.1%. The last starts at Val d'Isère and climbs at a consistent average of 6%. From the south, the climb starts at Lanslebourg Mont Cenis and is in length, ascending at an average grade of 4.2%. The final starts at Bonneval sur Arc and rises at an average gradient of 7.3%, with several sections in excess of 10%. On both sides of the Col de l'Iseran, mountain pass cycling milestones mark the distance to the summit, the current altitude, and the average slope in the following kilometre.