Home Destinations France Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesCol de la Croix de Fer

Hard

Cycling

🇫🇷 France

Satellite

This track was identified and mapped via high-resolution satellite imagery.

ID: FR-ARA-19

Col de la Croix de Fer

Added on 10 Oct 2026

Logged by @trailx

Col de la Croix de Fer (2,067 m) is one of the great Tour de France climbs. The classic side starts in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne: 29.5 km at an average 5–5.5%, gaining about 1,520 m. Shares its upper road with the Glandon. First Tour appearance: 1947 (22 times). Replaced the Galibier after a landslide in 2015.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Season: About June to October. Carry a windproof layer for the descent, enough water and food for the climb, and check road status before you go. Descend with care: these are open roads shared with cars and motorbikes.

Mission Logs70 waypoints

Distance	Direction & Instruction	Gradient
0.0 km	N Start Point	-2%
0.5 km	SW Continue on track	2%
0.9 km	SW Steep Ascent	11%
1.0 km	NW Steep Ascent	18%
1.3 km	SW Steep Ascent	11%

Note: Gear suggestions are based on terrain gradient and are for reference only.

Weather check

At Start

568m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

45.2776, 6.3453

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 45.2776, 6.3453 @ 568m

Quick Stats

Distance

26.38 km

Type

Cycling Sector

Elevation Range

564m - 2060m

Max Elevation

2060 m

Max Gradient

32.1%

20%

Highlights

Ride the Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne side, the way the Tour climbs it
Top out at 2,067 m
Replaced the Galibier after a landslide in 2015
Shares its upper road with the Glandon
Ride a climb from the 2026 Tour de France

Field Radio Protocol

VHF-UHF Communication

Signal Verified

Emergency Simplex

146.520MHz

Team Coordination

446.006MHz

Scout Primary

146.400MHz

Propagation Telemetry

Ridge Line

92%

Gorge Floor

18%

Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range

Regulatory Compliance

VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.

Technical Analysis

Total Ascent

+1615 m

Total Descent

-125 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).

0 (Smooth)50 (Steep)100+ (Extreme)

66.0

Tortuosity Index

Route Curviness Index

Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).

1.0 (Direct)2.0 (Winding)3.0+ (Serpentine)

2.12

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)10%

Moderate (3-8%)29%

Steep (>8%)60%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved93%

Unpaved7%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt

93%

Dirt Track

Water Crossings

Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.

Difficulty Analysis

SCORE: 68

Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.

Resulting CategoryHard

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 45.195222

MAX LAT: 45.277631

MIN LON: 6.202979

MAX LON: 6.348541

Point Spacing: 19 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

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Plan this trip

Before you go: Col de la Croix de Fer

Best time to go

Jun–Sep

Mid-June to mid-September is the season for high Alpine routes such as the Tour du Mont Blanc; huts are generally open then and passes are mostly clear of snow. Lower routes around Lyon and the Drôme are good in spring and autumn.