Col du Galibier
The Col du Galibier is one of the legendary venues of the Tour de France and, together with the closeby Col du Télégraphe, always a guarantee for great entertainment.
From the south, you will leave from Col du Lautaret and climb for 597 m over 8,6 km. But the northern side of Valloire is way more spectacular. Over a distance of 17,6 km you have to face 1220 vertical metres. But keep in mind that if you want to get to Valloire you will have to conquer the Col du Télégraphe first — or as an alternative the Galibier from both sides.
The first 10 km of the north side approach start with a slight climb which allows you to warm up steadily. Compared to many other passes with a start covered with trees, the Col du Galibier is surrounded by an impressive stony landscape right from the beginning. After about 10 km the ascent gets steeper just before hitting the 2000 m mark. Whilst the view becomes gradually more impressive the pass appears to be standing right in front of you — however, there are another 7,5 km to go. From this point onwards the alpine road winds up towards the pass summit in serpentines and a breath-taking view compensates for your double-digit efforts.
Col du Galibier: 2645 m
Length of ascent: 17.5 km
Meters in height: 1220 m
Ascent (average): 7%
Ascent (max): 12%
Strava Segment: strava.com
Strava KOM: 52:46 min
Strava QOM: 1:08:35 h
Is your favourite pass missing in our list? This is just the beginning, we will always add new passes to our list of best climbs. You are welcome to send us your favourite pass via email.
Credit: Michael Blann is a highly experienced professional photographer with an unparalleled love for cycling. This culminated in the publication of his 2016 book ‘Mountains’ which charts the most famous European climbs within the history of cycling. For more information about Michael Blann, to purchase the book or a limited edition print from the Mountains project, visit www.michaelblann.com
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