Col du Lautaret | 2058 METER | La Grave Le Monêtier-les-bains

The Col du Lautaret is a mountain pass in the French Alps, located about 600 metres below the Col du Galibier. It connects the valleys of Oisans and Briançonnais. The Col du Lautaret can be reached from three sides. The southeast ramp begins in Briançon and leads up to the 2,057-metre-high pass summit. The western approach comes from the village of Le Clapier near Bourg-d'Oisans. This is the longer and more difficult route to the Lautaret. Along the way are the Lac du Chambon reservoir and the winter resort of La Grave. From the north, the Col du Lautaret can be reached from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne. For ski tourers, the Col du Lautaret is the starting point for further passes: the Col du Galibier, and further on the Col de Telegraphe, the Col de la Madeleine, the Col du Glandon, the Col de la Croix de Fer and further south the Col d'Izoard. The Col du Lautaret belongs to the Hautes-Alpes and connects to the regions of Isère and Savoy. It is the fifth highest paved pass in the Alps. The Stilfserjoch in South Tyrol, the Restefond and the la Bonette, as well as the highest pass, the Col de l'Iseran, are all located in France.