サンジュリアンドラズの峠・トップ11

Favor the climb via Sarcenas, almost no cars

The Col de la Charmette also known as the 'Route Forestiere de La Charmette' is a mountain road located in the Isère department, northwest of Grenoble. The road climbs up to the 'Col de la Charmette' at an altitude of 1261 metres but the road is not maintained after passing the monastery halfway along the route. If you are coming from the north after 4 km at the Buisson Ardent monastery, it is officially closed and prohibited to motor vehicles. It includes sections of gravel and broken pavement and crosses several dark tunnels. The road is very winding and narrow in places. In many places it is bordered on one side by cliffs, the other side by a drop of hundreds of metres without protection by railings, so be careful.

Very pleasant pass to climb, not too steep a slope, well marked all the way.

End of the climb and arrival on the plateau

Arriving from Cessieu, I made a small detour via Voissant then the remaining 4 km to the Col des Mille Martyrs. Easy climb, no cars on this early Sunday afternoon and a very beautiful forest upon arrival. Bucolic viewpoints as a bonus during the climb. The descent to Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine is perfect. Super rolling surface and moderate slope allow you to reach 50 km/h effortlessly. Paradise exists, it is in Chartreuse.

Nice climb from Grenoble with little traffic and certainly also suitable as a descent. The descent from here north to Saint-Laurent-du-Pont is not particularly good. The landscape/view is sometimes very good, but the asphalt is in poor condition. In some places the road is riddled with deep potholes and there is a lot of grit on the road. The road also leads through several unlit tunnels where the road surface is even worse. I would still highly recommend the northern part of the road as a driveway, especially if you ride a gravel bike.

The Col de la Charmette is hidden in the middle of the Chartreuse at the end of a dead-end road at an altitude of 1,261 meters. Located in the middle of the forest, it is a starting point for many hiking trails.

Popular with cyclists, the Col de Porte provides the main connection between the Chartreuse massif and Grenoble. Located at an altitude of 1,324 meters, there is parking and a hostel.