A great road to Cormet de Roselend in the Alps
Cormet de Roselend is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,991m (6,532ft) above sea level, located in the Savoie department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The pass is traversed by the scenic Route des Grandes Alpes.
How long is Cormet de Roselend?
The road through the summit is entirely paved. It’s called D902 and D925. The pass is 39.5 km (24.54 miles) long with 22 hairpin turns and runs west-east from Beaufort (in the Beaufortain valley) to Bourg-Saint-Maurice (in the Tarentaise Valley).
Is Cormet de Roselend open in winters?
Set high in the Alps, in the southeastern part of the country, near the Italian border, the road is usually closed in winters.
How hard is the climb to Cormet de Roselend?
The pass has been featured in the Tour de France many times. The road to the summit is steep, reaching a maximum gradient of 12% through some of the ramps. Starting from Beaufort, the ascent is 20.32 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 1,227 meters. The average percentage is 6%, with the steepest sections at 8.9%. Starting from Bourg Saint Maurice, the ascent is 19.35 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 1,154 meters. The average percentage is 6%, with the steepest sections at 10.0%. Despite its average gradient of 6%, which hides its true character, it starts relatively steadily with lots of shade from the trees. After around 5 km, it ramps up to 8% gradients as it turns into a sequence of 10 tight hairpins.
Is Cormet de Roselend worth it?
It’s a great road with stunning views and receives a decent amount of traffic in summer. The word Cormet (from the Latin "Culmen") means summit. It is a nice climb where you will have views of the Mont Blanc mountains when passing by Vallée des Glaciers. On the west side of the pass sits the Lac de Roselend, a reservoir that is reached by the Col de Méraillet (1605m). The beautiful lake is perhaps what makes this pass stand out. This, combined with lovely views of the Mont Blanc mountains, has made the pass road become one of the most popular in the Alps. Running through vast alpine meadows, the drive features hairpins everywhere, cowbells as a background soundtrack, and ever-improving views.