Home Destinations France Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurCol de Vars

Hard

Cycling

🇫🇷 France

Satellite

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

ID: FR-PAC-09

Col de Vars

Added on 10 Oct 2026

Logged by @trailx

Col de Vars (2,108 m) is one of the great Tour de France climbs. The classic side starts in Guillestre: 19 km at an average 5.8%, gaining about 1,110 m. The highest French road pass kept open all winter. First Tour appearance: 1922 (over 33 times).

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Season: Kept open all winter. 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 Logs44 waypoints

Distance	Direction & Instruction	Gradient
0.0 km	N Start Point	1%
0.5 km	SE Continue on track	5%
0.7 km	SW Steep Ascent	12%
1.2 km	W Continue on track	7%
1.7 km	S Steep Ascent	12%

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

Weather check

At Start

1007m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

44.6598, 6.6494

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 44.6598, 6.6494 @ 1007m

Quick Stats

Distance

19.91 km

Type

Cycling Sector

Elevation Range

1007m - 2107m

Max Elevation

2107 m

Max Gradient

18.7%

4.3%

Highlights

Ride the Guillestre side, the way the Tour climbs it
Top out at 2,108 m
The highest French road pass kept open all winter

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

+1127 m

Total Descent

-29 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

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

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

58.1

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)

1.41

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)14%

Moderate (3-8%)29%

Steep (>8%)58%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved87%

Unpaved13%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt

87%

Dirt Track

13%

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: 60

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

Resulting CategoryHard

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 44.539086

MAX LAT: 44.659815

MIN LON: 6.649265

MAX LON: 6.702915

Point Spacing: 16 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

Reviews & Discussion0

Expedition notes, route modifications, and surface updates shared by the community.

Log Expedition Notes

You must be signed in to contribute reviews

Authenticate Identity

Be the first to review

No reviews registered for this technical sector yet. Share your experience, surface observations, or gear recommendations!

Plan this trip

Before you go: Col de Vars

Best time to go

Jun–Sep

June to September is best for Alpine and Pyrenean routes; spring and autumn suit Provence, Occitania and the Loire, while Réunion is driest from May to November and prone to cyclones from January to March.