Col du Grand Colombier, an iconic road in the western Alps

Col du Grand Colombier is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.501m (4,925ft) above the sea level, located in the department of Ain in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. The road is very steep, with sections up to 19%.

Tucked away in the Jura mountains, north of the western Alps, the road to the summit is totally paved. It’s called D120. The pass has seen frequent use in cycling. It was visited by the Tour de France for the first time on Stage 10 of the 2012 tour.

At the summit is a big parking lot with stunning views. The road is near deserted. The view from the summit is superb, either down the valley of the Rhône, the Lac du Bourget and the gorges of Val-de-Fier, or the distant peaks of the Alps.

There are four sides up to the summit. All of them are very steep with plenty of gradients in the teens. Starting from Anglefort, the ascent is 15.2 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 1.205 meters. The average percentage is 7.9 %. The maximum slope is 14 %. Starting from Artemare, the ascent is 15.9 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 1.245 meters. The average percentage is 7.8 %. The maximum slope is 19 %. Starting from Artemare, the ascent is 20.5 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 1.247 meters. The average percentage is 6.1 %. The maximum slope is 19 %. And starting from Culoz, the ascent is 18.3 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 1.255 meters. The average percentage is 6.9 %. The maximum slope is 14 %.