Driving the road to Col de Rosael is not a piece of cake

Col de Rosael is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.993m (9,819ft) above sea level, located in Orelle, a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. It's one of the highest roads of Europe.

Col de Rosael

Can I drive through Col de Rosael?

Set high in the Massif de la Vanoise range, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s called Val Thorens-Orelle road. It’s a ski-lift service road running north-south from Val Thorens ski resort to the village of Orelle. It is 28.3 km (17.58 miles) long 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.

Is Col de Rosael open?

Tucked away on the south-eastern part of the country, the road to the pass is one of the highest mountain roads drivable in Europe. 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. The road is usually open in July and August only. It's one of the highest roads of the country.
Road suggested by Pim van Dongen

 

 

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