Alpine Passes

Mountain Roads of Europe

Col de Joux Plane

Col de Joux Plane

France · Haute-Savoie

1,691m

Key Facts

Elevation
1,691m
Route length
20 km
Max gradient
12%
Hairpins
17
Driving difficulty
Challenging (3/5)
Surface
Good
Open
May - November

Route & Map

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Route

SSamoëns
20 km · max 12%
Col de Joux Plane (1,691m)
Descent
EMorzine
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One of the toughest Tour de France climbs, connecting Samoëns to Morzine. Steep descent with gradients over 10%. Famous for Armstrong's 'bad day' in the 2000 Tour.

Weather & Conditions

Driving Experience

Elevation Profile

628m848m1,069m1,289m1,509m0 km10 km20 km30 km40 km1,509m
936m gain
665m loss
705m → 1,509m → 976m

Difficulty

Challenging

3/5 — car driving difficulty

Based on steepness, elevation gain, hairpins, road length & surface quality

Hairpin Turns

17

Serious switchback territory

When to Drive

May - November (Best: July - September)

  • Open May - November. Check locally for exact opening dates as conditions vary each year.
  • Morning hours offer the best driving conditions with less traffic.
  • The switchbacks reward smooth, deliberate driving over speed.

Coordinates

Summit
46.1428°N, 6.6889°E
Start (Samoëns)
46.0831°N, 6.7264°E
End (Morzine)
46.1789°N, 6.7100°E
#cycling#tour-de-france#steep#challenging

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Image: Krzysztof Golik / CC BY-SA 4.0