- Ascent
- 1211 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 19.2 km
- max. gradient
- 16 %
- ø gradient
- 6.3 %
The Col d'Izoard from Briançon is an HC climb of 19.2 km with 1,211 m of elevation gain at an average of 6.3 %, peaking at 16 %. The road climbs via Cervières to the pass at 2,360 m and drops on the far side through the Queyras to Guillestre. The last seven kilometres are the steepest, at over 8 % on average.
Climb Goals: Pure Data Edition DIN A1 poster
Bucket-List Print: Col d’Izoard
The Col d’Izoard links Briançon with the Queyras and is one of the higher passes in our list. From Briançon it is 19.2 kilometres and 1,211 metres of climbing up to 2,360 metres. The profile comes in two parts: a calm first half, then seven kilometres that stay above 7 % almost all the way. Getting to know this pass mostly means getting to know that final stretch.
The Col d’Izoard at a glance
The key figures from Briançon: category HC, 19.2 km, 1,211 m of climbing, 6.3 % on average and 16 % at its steepest. The road leaves Briançon heading east, climbs via Cervières and reaches the pass at 2,360 m. On the south side it runs down through the Queyras to Guillestre. In our list the Izoard belongs to the Western Alps region.
The climb from Briançon
The first kilometre out of Briançon is one of the steeper ones, after that things calm down noticeably. Around kilometres three and four the road is almost flat, and up to about kilometre eleven the gradient swings between 4 and 7 %. This is where you gain time without losing strength. Overdo it here and you pay for it later.
The last seven kilometres average a little over 8 % and hardly drop below 7 %. The steepest kilometre comes about five kilometres below the summit, and after it there are no flat stretches left to catch your breath. The 16 % in the fact box is a short spike: on a per-kilometre basis no section goes above 11 %. That makes the Izoard steadily hard rather than brutal.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
At 2,360 m the Izoard has the 18th-highest finishing point in the list, and the ninth-highest among the 30 climbs of the Western Alps. Only 23 climbs have a higher maximum gradient than its 16 %, while its 6.3 % average puts it in the middle of the field. The comparison with the Col du Galibier is interesting: both have almost the same elevation gain, 1,211 against 1,220 m. The Galibier packs it into 17.6 instead of 19.2 kilometres and is steeper on average at 6.9 %.
Practical tips
Ride the Izoard with a plan for the second half: easy up to kilometre eleven, then your own pace for the last seven kilometres. A compact gearing is enough for the short 16 % spike, you do not need anything extreme. At 2,360 m it is noticeably colder than in Briançon, so bring a windproof layer for the descent. Heading south you roll through the Queyras to Guillestre, the way back to Briançon is the same road.
