The climb starts in Isola (861m) or down at St. Sauveur-s-Tinée (504m) and is long and very hard. Steepness comes first at St. Dalmas-le-Selvage (1509m). You turn left at a junction (1347m) soon after St. Etienne-de-Tinée (1144m). Continue through the little village of St. Dalmas-le-Selvage (there is water here). Just after the village a road winding its way up with a sign saying the road is closed (probably this is always suggested) is the one to take. There is a long series of hairpins in the somewhat wooden landscape, but there are also fine views. The road is often at around 14% until one eventually reaches a plateau, which is also the place the few cars go to when going up here. Thereafter you pass by some cows on the high pasture here and get out of the forest and start tackling the last steep part to the pass, where snow may linger.

The road is only surfaced a few hundred metres on the other side and with large boulders to zig-zag between. The rough road that goes up to the Col de la Bonette (Cime de la Bonette) (2715m) road is cyclable with a road bike (R1). It is 3.9 km from the pass to the Bonette road. One could alternatively turn down toward Bayasse (1783m) on the Col de la Cayolle (2326m) road, but this road (R1-2, 8.5 km) is only partly cyclable with a road bike (this road is also sometimes overrun by landslides).

If you come from Italy via Col de la Lombarde/Colle della Lombarda (2350m), you start the climb in Isola (861m). If you come via Col de la Couillole/Col de Cogliola (1677m), you start at St. Sauveur-sur-Tinée (504m). If you come via Col de Saint-Martin (1502m), you start at the height of 482m down the Tinée valley.

If you happen to come down the nice road over Col de la Sinne/Sine/Sinna (1438m), you start at 430m. You could start at Pont de Clans (301m) if coming into the valley via Tournefort. You could have visited Col d’Andrion (1684m) or travelled over the road passing by the famous Madone d’Utelle (dangerous road down to La Tour). If so, then you start at Pont de la Lune (233m). You could finally also have started at the start of the Tinée valley (187m).