Col de la Croix de Fer
	Height	Climbing height
	2064m Sign 2067m	1292m (Bge du Verney); 1353m (Rochetaillée/Bourg d’Oisans) 1518m (St. Jean de Maurienne) 1646m (St. Etienne-de-Cuines)
	Difficulty	Beauty
	4 (5)	3-4 (5)
How to get there	Not far from the village of Bourg d’Oisans at Rochetaillée (711m) starts the climb from the south of this famous mountain pass. One could also start a bit higher up on this side if coming from the Alpe d’Huez road down to the Barrage du Verney (772m). This pass is not very steep on either side, but it is a very irregular climb on both sides, where the south side has some steeper sections than the north side, while the north side is a bit longer. The irregularity and comparable length of this pass makes it quite hard from either side. From the north the climb starts in St. Jean de Maurienne (546m). The hardest approach is via the Col du Glandon (1924m) pass. This is also from the north but starts in St. Etienne-de-Cuines (418m) and has gradients of up to 15% close to the Glandon pass. (For this latest approach see profile here.)
Other comments	The pass is lovely, but does not quite stand out as much as other high passes of the area. It is nicest on the northern side. It could be very warm down in St. Jean de Maurienne in the Summer and it is often very windy in the, not so fun, lower Maurienne valley. The photo is taken on the way up to the pass on the south side while taking part in the La Marmotte marathon, which includes this pass and some others every year. There are alternative roads on the north side where one could pass over yet another pass – Col du Mollard (1638m) – if you find the right road to take. Climbing to Col de la Croix de Fer via the Glandon pass is recommended as it is more quiet and at least as beautiful. Water could be found on the way to the pass on all sides. For more information see: Col du Glandon. [FR-73-2064a, BIG 287]