The breathtaking road to Col de Salese in the Maritime Alps
Col de Salèse is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,036m (6,679ft) above sea level, located in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France.
Where is Col de Salèse?
Set high in the French Maritime Alps, not far from the border with Italy, the pass is located within the Mercantour National Park, in the southeastern part of France.
Is the road to Col de Salèse paved or unpaved?
The road to the summit runs from Mollières to Saint-Martin-Vésubie. The drive has two clearly different parts. The first part is called M89. It’s fully paved and ends at Parking de Salèse, a parking lot at an elevation of 1,663m above sea level. Beyond the parking, the road becomes unpaved and it is closed to private vehicles. It’s 4.3km (2.67 miles) long from the parking to the summit.
Is the road to Col de Salèse challenging?
The road is really challenging. Besides the challenging road surface, the road is steep in parts, hitting a maximum gradient of 11.7% through some of the ramps. It’s usually impassable from November to March.