homeCol du Cormet d’Arêches
Col du Cormet d’Arêches Height Climbing height - length
2106m 1444m - 18.30 km - 7.9% (Aime)
1428m - 17.59 km - 8.1% (Aime upper)
1367m - 19.27 km - 7.1% (Beaufort)
957m - 12.80 km - 7.5% (Col du Pré turn-off)
Difficulty Beauty
4-5 (5) 4 (5)
How to get there

This is a classic and hard alternative climb to the very popular and beautiful (Col du) Cormet de Roselend (1969m). This climb starts in the south in Aime (662m) or Aime (upper) (678m). The hardest road is the middle of the three alternative roads up here. Even though three roads up here I managed to climb from yet another approach on the south side starting up in Bourg St-Maurice and taking the high road over Vulmix and Valezan, but it is not really the normal way up so leave it out here, but a nice one if coming down from there.

This climb is long a and hard. Moreover this is famous for being a somewhat rough gravel road over the pass with gravel for a few kilometres on both sides. Good road at the pass, but otherwise a bit hard with a road bike, but possible. The road is apparently paved in some fashion a bit longer and maybe all the way to Plan Pichu (as the IGN maps also suggests) (1946m) on the south side now. (For certain there is now asphalt to 1766m.)

The climb from the north is only a little easier, but is nicer higher up with more open views. The road is asphalted from Beaufort (739m) through Arêches and the turn-off (1149m) for the nice and steep Col du Pré (1703m) and beyond the Lac de St-Guérin to 1825m.

Other comments The pass name appears as Col du Cormet on old maps (just as Cormet de Roselend appears as Col du Cormet de Roselend), but this is also sign-posted for as Col du Cormet d’Arêches on the south climb, so think it might be as well using that longer name even if the shorter Cormet d’Arêches is seen on most signs including the top sign, but signs often shorten pass names. Arêches on the north side and Granier on the south side are good places for a rest and water if so needed. A great and beautiful alternative road over the Tarentaise and Beaufortain mountains to the Roselend pass that one should try and visit at least once.
[FR-73-2109, BIG 282]
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