Col de la Montee du Fond is a brutally tough road in France

Col de la Montée du Fond is a high mountain pass at 3.007m (9,865ft) above the sea level, located in Orelle, a commune in the Savoie department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. It's one of the highest roads of Europe.

How long is Col de la Montee du Fond?

Tucked away on the southeastern part of the country, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s a ski-lift service road running north-south from Val Thorens ski resort to the village of Orelle. The infamous Val Thorens-Orelle road is 28.3 km (17.58 miles) long.

Is Col de la Montee du Fond difficult?

It is one of the highest mountain roads drivable in Europe. The drive is extremely defiant and features 55 hairpin turns. The hairpins are signed and numbered. It’s a brutally tough drive with panoramic views of a thousand summits of France, Switzerland and Italy. 4x4 vehicles only. The route roughly follows the line of the chairlift, passing under it now and then. The average gradient is 10.4 % but hits about 17-18% through some of the corners.

Is Col de la Montee du Fond open?

Set high in the Massif de la Vanoise range, the road is usually drivable only in July and August. Located to the east of Col de Rosael and Col de Caron, it’s one of the highest roads of the country.
Road suggested by: Pim van Dongen
Pic: Bram van Gelder