Motorcycle Ride Planner · Routes · France

Col du Galibier & Col du Télégraphe

France · D902

Sacred ground of cycling and high-alpine motorcycling linking the Maurienne and Guisane valleys. Ascends through the forested switchbacks of Col du Télégraphe (1,566m) and Valloire before tackling the barren upper slopes of the Galibier. The final mile climbs past the Henri Desgrange monument to the 2,642m (8,668 ft) ridge crest via narrow, unprotected 12% grade hairpins. Toll-free. Closed late October through late May. Unobstructed panoramas of the Meije glacier.

Col du Galibier & Col du Télégraphe runs 26 miles between Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, Savoie, France and Col du Lautaret / Le Monêtier-les-Bains, Hautes-Alpes, France. We count about 155 corners along it, which is consistently bendy. Demanding, and not a road to meet in the wet.

Tank-bag quick reference

• StartSaint-Michel-de-Maurienne, Savoie, France45.2189, 6.4714
• High2,330 ft - 8,668 ft (2,642m Col du Galibier)elevation range
• EndCol du Lautaret / Le Monêtier-les-Bains, Hautes-Alpes, France44.9767, 6.5083

T-CLOCS before you go: tyres and wheels, controls and cables, lights and electrics, oil and fluids, chassis and stand.

Repair within reach

• 31 miMoto Axxe AlbertvilleAlbertville, France
• 38 miDafy Moto Grenoble (Saint-Martin-d'Hères)Grenoble, France
• 50 miMoto Axxe Annecy (Seynod)Annecy, France

Straight-line distance from the start of the route, not driving distance.

More in France

• Route des Grandes Alpes (Geneva to Mediterranean Spine)440 mi · 2400 corners
• Col de la Bonette & Cime Loop (2,802m)31 mi · 190 corners
• Col d'Aubisque & Cirque du Litor Shelf Road29 mi · 170 corners
• Col d'Izoard & Casse Déserte28 mi · 160 corners
• Gorges du Verdon & Route des Crêtes (D23 Canyon Rim)32 mi · 160 corners
• Col de l'Iseran20 mi · 130 corners

Questions riders ask

How long does Col du Galibier & Col du Télégraphe take to ride?

About 26 miles. At an unhurried pace with stops that is roughly 1 hour of riding, longer if you are stopping for photographs.

Where does Col du Galibier & Col du Télégraphe start and end?

It runs between Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, Savoie, France and Col du Lautaret / Le Monêtier-les-Bains, Hautes-Alpes, France. Either end works as a start; the route reads the same in both directions.

Is Col du Galibier & Col du Télégraphe a twisty road?

We count about 155 corners across 26 miles, which is consistently bendy.

Is there a GPX file for Col du Galibier & Col du Télégraphe?

Yes. The GPX is free, there is no account, and the planner will build a route that includes this road alongside others nearby.

Where these numbers come from

Distances and corner counts come from the route's own geometry, not from ratings or votes. Nothing here is crowdsourced and nobody paid to appear.