A scenic Alpine road to Col du Telegraphe

Col du Télégraphe is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.566m (5,138ft) above the sea level, located in the Savoie department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in France. The pass is traversed by the scenic Route des Grandes Alpes.

Is Col du Télégraphe paved?

Set high in the French Alps above the Maurienne valley, the winding paved road to the summit is very curvy, with 14 hairpin turns. It's called D902. Col du Telegraph is so named because at the very top of the climb there's a fortress, the Fort du Télégraphe, that used to have a semaphore telegraph on top of it, built in 1884. The Fort du Télégraphe is open for visitation during the summer months.

How long is Col du Télégraphe?

Tucked away on the south-eastern part of the country, the pass is 17.5 km (10.87 miles) long, running from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne to Valloire, as well as forming an access point to the Col du Galibier via its north face. At the summit are a few radio and TV towers. It's a rather large cement structure that can be seen for a long way. The road is normally open the whole year around.

Is Col du Télégraphe steep?

The road is very steep, hitting a 10% of maximum gradient. The Col du Télégraphe has been crossed multiple times by the Tour de France. Starting from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, the ascent is 11.8 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 856 meters. The average percentage is 7.3 %. And starting from Valloire, the ascent is 4.8 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 165 meters. The average percentage is 3.4 %.