Col du Parpaillon (tunnel)
	Height	Climbing height
	2637m Michelin 2645m	1370m (La Condamine-Châtelard) 1768m (Embrun)
	Difficulty	Beauty
	4 (5)	4 (5)
How to get there	This is a long and hard climb from both sides. From Jausiers (1240m) one follows the main road 5 km up to La Condamine-Châtelard (1267m). Here a good and somewhat steep asphalt road leads to Ste Anne (1751m). Proceed straight ahead and soon the asphalt runs out on a narrow road. The forestry road up to Cabane du Grd Parpaillon (a small bar) is difficult to cycle with a road bike, but possible with some care. The road up the gravel serpentines to the tunnel is also just about possible to tackle with a road bike (in dry conditions) (very hard though). The tunnel may (just like it says on the Michelin map) be passable, but often contains a lot of ice and water and is totally dark and 500 m long. It might be possible to drag the cycle over the real pass on a path, but the mountainside is slippery small stones/sand (I could not do it in rain). R1-2: 9 km. The north side from Embrun (870m) is even steeper (up to 12%) above Crévoux (1400m), but apparently slightly better (have not been there). Around 10 km R1-2 on the north side.
Other comments	This is a very classic road pass in the Alps and has been used in earlier days in the Tour de France (I believe the road was in a much better state back then). Do not attempt this on a road bike in rain! ;-) (like foolish me– one part was not even negotiable with a four-wheel Jeep at the time). They have ”strong” coffee at the Cabane! A very nice pass. [04-2637]