The road to Col de Chavière is not for the faint of heart

Col de Chavière is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.477m (8,126ft) above the sea level, located in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.

Col de Chavière

Set high in the Massif de la Vanoise range, in the heart of the Vanoise National Park, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. 4x4 vehicle required. However, the road is closed to private vehicles. At the summit there’s a mountain refuge called Refuge de Peclet Polset, located close to Lac Blanc, a lake fed by a glacier that has a milky white color.

It’s usually impassable from October to June. Expect a trail pretty steep. Starting at D124 road, the ascent is 7.4 km long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 703 meters. The average gradient is 9.5%.
Pic: bodha jac