1220 hm
Ascent
17.6 km
Distance Ascent
11 %
max. gradient
6.9 %
ø gradient
2,642 metres. One of the highest paved passes in the Alps. The Galibier separates the Maurienne Valley from the Briançonnais and has been a Tour de France staple for over 100 years. At the top stands a monument to Henri Desgrange, the man who invented the Tour. You couldn’t script it better.
The Route
The classic ascent starts in Valloire. 17.6 km, 1,220 metres of climbing, 6.9% average gradient. The first kilometres out of town are gentle, 5-6%. From Plan Lachat things get serious: the gradient kicks up to 8-9% and stays there.
The Col du Télégraphe (1,566 m) sits 12 km before the Galibier and is often ridden as its warm-up act. Chain them together and you’re looking at 34 km and over 2,000 metres of elevation in one go. Valloire offers a brief breather between the two.
The final 2 kilometres below the summit tunnel are the hardest. Exposed, windy, often above 10%. The tunnel itself is closed to cyclists. The pass road takes the old route above the tunnel to the top. Up there: silence, open space, and on a clear day a view stretching all the way to Mont Blanc.
History and Cycling
In the Tour de France since 1911, ridden over 60 times. The Galibier has often been the decisive pass before summit finishes on Alpe d’Huez or the Col du Granon. Pantani attacked here in 1998. Nibali took control of the Tour here in 2014.
The monument to Henri Desgrange at the summit is a reminder that this mountain defined the Tour de France. Desgrange once called the Galibier the most sublime of all passes.
Tips for Cyclists
The pass road is open from June to October. Best time: July or September. Even in midsummer it gets cold at the top, 5-8°C is normal. Wind vest and arm warmers are non-negotiable.
Water in Valloire (last town) and at the Col du Télégraphe. Nothing after that until the summit. For the descent towards Briançon, put on a warm layer. 17 km downhill into headwind and cold.
The Télégraphe plus Galibier combo is one of the best training days in the Alps. Want more? Descend to Bourg-d’Oisans and ride up Alpe d’Huez. The legendary Tour double stage in a single day.
My Experience
We were lucky enough to ride the Galibier on one of the two car-free days of the year. Just bikes and the climb. Surprisingly, even on a day like that, the crowds weren’t overwhelming on this famous summit. We rode from Le Monêtier-les-Bains to Valloire and the Col du Télégraphe. And back again.