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My final day was soon upon me and I chose another high pass - the Col
D'Izoard at 2,360m. I drove to Briancon and climbed the northerly approach to the col. The first section to Cervieres was a modest 4% - very shallow for an HC climb. |
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After the village, the climb steepened and I was left behind by a local
mountain bike rider and a cyclo-tourist complete with tent and panniers. The climb zigzagged through the forest, offering some great views both down the valley and up to the high peaks. The Refuge Napoleon was finally reached and then the summit was only 1km away. |
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Like many of the highest cols, the Izoard is part of la Route des
Grandes Alpes - a route from Thonon-les-Bains on the shore of Lake
Geneva to Menton on the Mediterranean Sea over such famous cols as the
Joux Plane, Colombiere, Aravis, Saises, Roseland, Isere, Telegraph,
Galibier, Izoard, and Vars. South of Barcelonnette the original
route crosses the Cayolle, but most travellers now choose the
alternative of the Bonnette-Restefond. This is the highest paved road in
France, with a mountain loop built above the 2,715m Bonnette to a height
of 2,860m. This was done just to exceed the 2,762m Col d'Isere. I would like to tackle the grande route at some time.... |
