Col du Galibier

The Col du Galibier, in the northern Dauphiné, reaches a height (in the tunnel) of 2,556 m/8,386ft and ranks with the Col de l'Iseran, 200 m/650ft higher, as one of the highest passes in France, offering magnificent views on both the ascent and the descent. It may, however, be impassable on account of snow from October until the end of May. It is possible to climb, or take the chair-lift, to a height of 2,704 m/8,872ft, the panoramic view from which is one of the most impressive in the French Alps. At the south entrance to the tunnel is a monument to Henri Desgranges, who initiated the Tour de France cycle race in 1903.