Ski, Cycle, Kite & Run Guide to the Col du Lautaret

At just over 2000m, the Col du Lautaret is far below many of the colossus cols that surround it, but it is one of the few that is accessible by car all year round unless, that is, high winds or avalanche risk force a temporary closure of the road.

You only have to look at the webcam to clock the stunning mountain scenery that surrounds the Col du Lautaret straddled on the edge of the Parc des Ecrins, making it a destination in itself for car drivers and bikers let alone adventure tourists including cyclists, hikers, runners and ski tourers.

But the Col du Lautaret is, also, a vital mountain pass, linking Grenoble to Briançon by National Route 91, the Hautes-Alpes to Oisans and Isère, the Romanche and the Guisane valleys. Any closure, can mean a long slog detour via Gap.

In the summer, generally from the first week in June to mid-October, it is also the junction for the D902 road up to the Col du Galibier, which then leads down to the Maurienne Valley and can save time in getting to the likes of the Savoie and Geneva.

The Col du Lautaret has been a significant mountain pass since way back. On what was originally an old Roman road there was a small temple, an ataretum, hence the name Autaret, which later became Lautaret. This old temple was transformed into a hospice and then became a hotel.

COL DU LAUTARET SKI TOURING

What's so great about the Col du Lautaret for ski touring? Where do we start. First, there's the fact that you can drive to 2000m with easy parking (at least, for early birds). At this height, it's fairly snow sure throughout the winter well into May, with north-facing slopes holding the snow cover longer and more southerly aspects transforming into classic spring.

Where to ski tour? Just stand in the parking area at the top of the Col and turn around in a circle and, yep, you can ski tour in all directions, the best climbs and decents depending on the time of year and snow. There are peaks over 3000m for high descents and ski mountaineering.

Some climbs, like Combeynot are far steeper than others. Some destinations like Pic Blanc are more popular. Some tours like Col du Galiblier (image above) are iconic. And, the other routes? Well, you just have to know them or take a mountain guide to access untouched powder or work out the aspects for sublime spring snow.

You see that lofty, gnarly peak to the north? That's La Meije, which stands sentinel over the famous La Grave, the other side of the Col du Lautaret, with its one lift and vast unpisted terrain. The mountain guides there know the ski tour areas of the Col du Lautaret like the back of their Hestra gloves, so call up the Bureau des Guides for ski touring or ski mountaineering in the area.

And avoid dangers like the early-May avalanche down the face of the Combeynot.

With Serre Chevalier on one side of the Col du Lautaret and La Grave on the other, plus Grenoble 90k away, plenty of skiers and snowboarders will head here on the weekend or during holidays for touring. We're not talking Chamonix mobs of backcountry skiers but enough to make you want to set the alarm to get a good parking spot.

The main parking area at the Col is free. Parking to access the more southerly climbs is alongside the road. On a classic fresh snow day, you need to be there before 08.30 to be sure of finding a space - and, note, that at the bottom of the Galibier Route Ancienne (the clasic ski tour route to the Col du Galibier) where there is a wider off road area, it's etiquette to park perpendicular rather than parallel to the road to allow for more cars.

By the time you've got your skins and transceiver on, you'll spot the tracks of even earlier birds going uphill. But, you know it's never wise, to follow others' tracks unless you know where you're going. So, again, take a mountain guide.

For the past few years one of our final ski tours of the season has involved parking at the Lautaret and then riding up the partially cleared Galibier road (more on that in the cycling section below) on an e-mtb and then leaving it locked at 2300m before ski touring up to around 2850m and descending in spring snow.

 Video below has some great views looking down over the Lautaret from the Galibier road.

And in the image below, you can see the various ski tour routes around the Lautaret, these are the wide blue dashed lines, not to be confused with streams.

CAFE ON THE COL

And, what we really love about ski touring at the Col du Lautaret, is the welcome pint or chocolat chaud plus maybe lunch on the terrace with the magnicifent view of the Combeynot at the legendary, Café de la Ferme, also known simply as Fred's. It's open all year, so also good for cyclists to refuel. 

On the other side of the road is the Lautaret Lodge & Spa, formerly the Hôtel des Glaciers, open summer and winter, offering an epic location to stay and play in the mountains with 15 duplex rooms, 6 standard rooms, an apartment and a suite spread over three floors.

COL DU LAUTARET SNOWKITING

They flutter up and around the Col du Lautaret on any winter's day when there's a breeze. For snowkiters there are perfect inclines for riding up and down all day long, with the more adventurous making it to the Trois Eveches ridge, image above.

In February, the Col du Lautaret is a mass of colourful kites, gathered for the Snowkite Masters competition. You can, also, learn to snowkite here.

COL DU LAUTARET CYCLING 

Gavin - My first recorded descent of the Lauatret was way back in August 2011, when I had to cycle a lot after tearing my ACL at the end of the previous ski season.  It was a great way to strengthen my legs in preparation for the forthcoming ACL surgery.

So I had cycled up from La Grave to the Lautaret (a much harder way), and I think I was then descending towards Briancon to cycle the Izoard.

I was following a mate, and was so off the pace, not being used to descending at speed. When I look back, it always raises a smile, as I thought it was so dangerous/extreme at the time.

In reality, the descent down towards Briancon is technically not at all tricky, being very straight for most of the route, along with quite a mild gradient of circa 4 percent.

Since 2011, I have recorded well over 100 descents, and know the road pretty well.

The wind can make a significant difference whether it be a head or tail wind, and quite often it switches direction while you are actually riding up. The worse case scenario is riding into a head wind on the ascent and then it switches so you also have a headwind for the descent.

Once in mid-May, after I had ridden up to see how far the Galiber road was open as they were still clearing the road, up there I was descending back down and had a strong tail wind, so much so that on the lower sections (top had roadworks and traffic lights) I achieved quite a few PBs. Not too shabby after so many descents over the years.

Living in Serre Chevalier, the vast percent of my Lautaret ascents are from this side. Even if you do the whole climb, which starts in Briancon, it is only classified as a Category 1, however when you add on the climb to the Col du Galibier it is then an HC climb.

The last couple of years, a fair few million euros (c/o EEC) have been spent on a cycle lane from just outside Monetier, not that one was ever really needed. In fact, it's not a true cycle lane, as it's still part of the main road, but it does make you feel more secure. The new road surface is also pleasant on the wheels.

Like all great Alpine climbs, you will find kilometre markers with distance and gradient for the next kilometre, so if a sign says 4.5 percent, that means that in the next kilometre you will climb 45 metres.

The image below is the sign at the bottom of our road. You can see that there is no gradient as the road is essentially flat to the next sign.

For Strava warriors, that also marks the segment that I created, Home to the Lautaret, which I've cycled over 100 times, A ccyclist, Romain Bardet has the KOM on the 25th June 2019, but what's really interesting is that a month later, 25th July there are a whole load of well known names in the Top Ten. It was the 18th Stage of the Tour de France, Embrun to Valloire, climbing the Galibier and then the descent down to Valloire. 

Three years later the Tour again came racing through the valley. This time it was Stage 12 of the 2022 Tour and featured the infamous Tom Piddock's descent of the Galibier. But then they still had to ride Croix de Fer before the final climb of Alpe d'Huez.

The Lautaret often features in many of the Classic Tours, and 2025 is a first, as Stage 4 of the Vuelta races through en route from Susa to Voiron on 26th August. 

 

SKY RUNNING THE COL DU LAUTARET 

If you're running up from the Col du Lautaret, then technically you're sky running as you are above 2000m. It's also scenic running as everywhere you look is a stunning view.

Most popular running destination is, of course, the Col du Galibier at 2642m. You'll have to share the road with motorbikes leaning around the bends up to the legendary road sign at the top and all the cars going over the Col from when it's open around the end of May.

But at least twice during the summer the road will be closed  to motorised traffic for a few hours in the morning, so runners can share the pilgrimage up to the road sign - and down - with the many cyclists enjoying the traffic free road (though many, these days, are 'motorised' as in ebikes).

It's 17k and 588m elevation from the barrier at the bottom on the Col du Lautaret by road, but on foot as in running or hiking (or, indeed, on a mountain bike) you can also take the Route Ancien before the tunnel to the Col du Lautaret on the Serre Chevalier side. This route winds up though herds of cows, past whistling marmots and over babbling brooks until it hits the bend before the tunnel, then it's one kilometre to the Col.

If you want less vertical, then one of the most pleasant long mountain trail runs is the valley route from Monetier to below the tunnel at the Col du Lautaret. Park up by Les Grands Bains du Monetier and take the trail on the north side of the river heading towards the Lautaret. You run along forest paths and side roads through small Alpine villages all the way up the valley.

It's just over 10k and 400+m to below the tunnel, Then you can keep going up the steep 200m incline for around two more kilometres to the Col and enjoy a sit down and snack at Fred's (see above), but you'll need to hitch or run back. If you turn around at the fast flowing stream before the climb, it'll be 21.2k there and back, so a half marathon.

If you plan it right (as in having checked opening times) you can relax in the thermal baths back at Monetier where you parked. Or, more hardcore, dip your legs in the slack water by the banks of the river for some icy mountain water muscle therapy.