Europe’s most renowned Deux Mille col, Col du Galibier, connects the Maurienne Valley with Briançon in the Oisans region. Famously featured in the Tour de France and the popular public race La Marmotte, which typically occurs on the first Sunday in July, cycling Col du Galibier is a must for every col-hunter’s bucket list.
The climb from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne is a full 36 kilometers, with the first 12 kilometers leading up to Col du Télégraphe. The real ascent when cycling Col du Galibier begins in Valloire, 18 kilometers from the summit. The first section up to Plan Lachat at 2000 meters is relatively manageable. After Plan Lachat, the gradient becomes significantly steeper, featuring hairpin turns and sharp ascents right up to the top. The scenery, especially around the initial hairpins after Plan Lachat and the final bends before the summit, is exceptionally spectacular.
From the south, Col du Galibier can be approached from the top of Col du Lautaret, another Deux Mille mountain that connects Briançon in the south with Grenoble in the north. This climb covers just over eight kilometers, with a steady gradient up to the tunnel near the summit. After the tunnel, the gradient steepens dramatically, reaching up to 12 percent.
The ascent from Valloire—or even from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne for the full experience, including Col du Télégraphe—is arguably the most famous climb in Europe. The last eight kilometers from Plan Lachat are particularly notable. Four kilometers from the summit, riders pass a monument dedicated to the legendary Italian climber Marco Pantani. This monument marks the spot where Pantani launched a decisive attack in the rain during the 1998 Tour de France, leading to his victory.
Just a few meters after passing Chalet Les Granges du Galibier, a fromagerie, is the Pantani monument. The dynamic nature of the resort allows for the opening of seasonal sales points on Col du Galibier, promoting and directly marketing the renowned Beaufort cheese produced by a local cooperative. The rest of the cheese production is sold to wholesalers and distributed through various cheese makers and specialized dairies.
