Col du Glandon is a climb located in the Dauphiné Alps, linking Le Bourg-d’Oisans to La Chambre. The road over the Col du Glandon opened in 1898, although it was not linked to the Col de la Croix de Fer until 1912.

When to ride Col du Glandon

The pass is normally closed from the beginning of November to mid-May. It is sometimes used by the Tour de France cycle race, including on the 2013 Tour. Despite the limited window of summer and early autumn to cycle in, the route can be relatively quiet in summer due to its HC classification, though that is not to say that on good days it won’t be busy.

Riding Col du Glandon

The climb follows the D927 from Le Chambre. The length of the climb is 21.3km long, climbing 1,472 m at an average gradient of 6.9%. The gradient increases as you get closer to the summit, with the last two kilometres exceeding 10% and in some places 12%.

The route takes the D1091 through the Romanche valley before joining the D526 after 8km. The significant part of the climb starts at the Barrage du Verney, which sees riders take on a gruelling 24.1 km to the summit. The height gained in this time is a whopping 1,152 m, though the average gradient is only 4.8%. Don’t let that fool you though, there can be parts of this stretch that takes in gradients of as much as 11.1%. All the way up the climb you will know exactly how far you have travelled and how far you have left as mile markers line the route to the very top, as is common in France.