Col du Petit Saint Bernard

Col du Petit Saint Bernard

The ascent is never brutal on this route, with an average gradient of around 5%. 

A beautiful alpine climb, begin by descending from Tignes (2,100m) to Bourg Saint Maurice (840m), which is a fast 30km descent. 

Distance: 120km return
Elevation gain: 2,000m to 2,200m
Average gradient: 4.9% (from Bourg St Maurice)
Summit elevation: 2,188m
Difficulty: hard

Key features:

• starting from Bourg-St-Maurice, the climb follows the D1090, beginning gently and winding through alpine pastures and forests
• the route goes through numerous small hamlets and ski resorts, including La Rosière, a great stop off spot
• after La Rosière the route has long, sweeping switchbacks and views of Mont Blanc and the Tarentaise Valley
• at the summit you'll find a large stone column, a food truck or café in summer months