The Col de la Cayolle (2,326m) is a pass in the Southern Alps of France, on the border of the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
Like the Iseran, Galibier, Izoard and the Bonette, it is part of the Route des Grandes Alpes, connecting the French Riviera (Menton) with Lac Léman (Geneva).
The main reason I created this info page, is because it’s also part of the Brevet de 7 Cols d’Ubaye, which I obtained in my (first) Tour of 2014.
Other than the awesome Bonette, the Cayolle was a favorite, as the road is closed to heavy vehicles and caravans, and it is not suitable for vehicles with trailers or even motor homes.
That means there’s not a lot of traffic – I didn’t even see any motor cyclists during my ascend.
Tour de France
The Cayolle has only featured 3 times in the Tour:
- 1950: first to pass Jean Robic
- 1955: Charly Gaul
- 1973: Vicente López Carril
Barcelonnette
At 27.2 kilometers with 1,198 meters of D+, it’s not an easy climb, even if the average is only 4.4%.
Granted, up to Bayasse, the average is even less at around 3% with only a few steeper bits.
But the final 9 kilometers are more challenging, the final 5 averaging 7.1%.
Still, with the gradient not exceeding 9%, it’s definitely not a hard climb either and the quiet, scenic road and some jaw-dropping views make it well worth the effort.
Saint-Martin-d’Entraunes
This ascent is 20.3 kilometers, although you can start 12 kilometers further down in Guillaumes if you want.
From St. Martin, the average is 6.3%, which means this end is quite a bit more challenging than the northern ascend.
The toughest 5-kilometer stretch is at 7.6% and the maximum is 10%. Also the toughest kilometer, also at 8.4%, is harder than the 7.6% on the northern ascend…
