- Ascent
- 1537 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 28.1 km
- max. gradient
- 13 %
- ø gradient
- 5.5 %
The Col de la Croix de Fer from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is an HC climb of 28.1 km with 1,537 m of elevation gain at an average of 5.5 %, peaking at 13 %. The long, irregular road climbs the Arvan valley via Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves to 2,067 m, with two short descents along the way. On the far side it drops towards Rochetaillée in the Romanche valley.
The Col de la Croix de Fer is a restless climb out of the Maurienne valley. From Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne it is 28.1 kilometres and 1,537 metres of climbing up to 2,067 metres. Along the way there are steep ramps, flat stretches and two short descents. Anyone looking for a rhythm has to find it again and again.
The Col de la Croix de Fer at a glance
The key figures from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne: category HC, 28.1 km, 1,537 m of climbing, 5.5 % on average and 13 % at its steepest. The road follows the Arvan valley via Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves up to the pass at 2,067 m. On the far side it leads towards Rochetaillée in the Romanche valley. In our list the Croix de Fer belongs to the Western Alps region.
The climb from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
The first eight kilometres build up slowly, from flat through 3 to 5 % up to around 8 %. Then comes the hardest block of the whole climb: three kilometres averaging about 10 %. Straight afterwards the road flattens out and even drops briefly. From kilometre 14 steeper and easier kilometres take turns again.
Between kilometres 18 and 20 comes the second, longer descent before the final part begins. The last seven kilometres average around 8 %, clearly steeper than the average in the fact box. So the 5.5 % average is deceptive: it comes from hard ramps and descents, not from an evenly moderate road. Because of the descents you also climb more metres along the way than the difference between start and summit suggests.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
At 28.1 km the Croix de Fer is the 14th-longest climb in the list and the fifth-longest of the 30 climbs in the Western Alps. For elevation gain it ranks 19th with 1,537 m, but on average gradient it sits far back in 83rd place at 5.5 %. The Col de la Madeleine has almost the same climbing at 1,535 m, yet needs only 19.5 kilometres for it. The Col du Glandon ends in Rochetaillée in our data just like the Croix de Fer and, at 20.9 kilometres and 7 % on average, is the shorter, steeper option.
Practical tips
The Croix de Fer is best ridden in sections: do not overdo the block around 10 % after kilometre eight, use the descents to recover and keep something in reserve for the last seven kilometres. With a maximum of 13 % and several kilometres around 9 to 10 %, compact gearing pays off. Because the road drops twice along the way, you cool down in the middle of the climb too, so a wind vest is useful well before the summit. At 2,067 m it is colder at the top than in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne anyway.
