Cyclists.com

Col de Vars from Guillestre

20 km road cycling route1,124 m climbing1 h 24 minGPX

Guillestre, France · Road

A mountainous 20 km road cycling route from Guillestre through Saint-Marcellin, Vars and Sainte-Marie, with 1,124 m of climbing over Guillestre climb (1655 m) and the Saint-Marcellin climb.

Routed from the map This classic road was traced on OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

Download GPXMap

At a glance

Best for
Short, climbing-heavy rides
Distance
19.6 km
Point to point
Elevation gain
1,124 m
57 m per km
Riding time
1 h 24 min
moving time, estimated
Difficulty
Moderate
Bike
Road bike
Surface
Paved
Best months
Jul to Sep
Guillestre climate, 10 years
Navigation
GPX download
free, no sign-in
Start → finish
Guillestre

Map and elevation profile

Le col de Vars (photo prise vers la vallée de l'Ubaye)
Photo: Mathieu BROSSAIS · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent
1,124 m
Distance
20 km
05001,0001,5002,0002,500m0 km5101520 km2,109 m · highest, at 19.6 kmStartFinish

Route description

  1. Guillestre
  2. Guillestre climb (1655 m)km 0
  3. Saint-Marcellinkm 10
  4. Saint-Marcellin climbkm 11
  5. Sainte-Mariekm 12
  6. Varskm 12
  7. Les-Clauxkm 15

The route starts in Guillestre at 1007 m and climbs steadily for 19.6 km to Col de Vars at 2109 m. The first 9.4 km climb gains 648 m at an average of 6.9%, with maximum gradients of 10.9%. This is followed by a shorter climb of 8.7 km gaining 475 m at 5.5% average and max 8.4%, reaching the highest point at 19.5 km.

The route mainly follows the D 902 main road for 18 km, with 92% on main roads and a small section of 0.7 km on a quiet street. It is 98% paved with a small 2% section of gravel or unpaved. There are 18 km on main roads without a cycle lane and 11.7 km on roads with speed limits of 80 km/h or more.

Starting in Guillestre there are cafés, bakeries, shops, water, toilets, a petrol station and bike repair stands available. The longest stretch without café, shop or water is from 0.4 to 8.5 km (8.1 km). Further up, shops and water points reappear near Vars and Les-Claux, with a restaurant at the finish.

Why ride this route?

  • Climbs Guillestre climb (1655 m) (9.3 km at 6.9 %) and the Saint-Marcellin climb (8.7 km at 5.5 %).
  • Tops out at 2,109 m, 19.5 km in.

Highlights

  • Col de Vars summit at 2109 m
  • Peyre Haute viewpoint at 3.6 km
  • First climb averaging 6.9% for 9.4 km
  • Route mostly on D 902 main road

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

  1. Saint-Marcellin 10.3 km
  2. Sainte-Marie 12.1 km
  3. Vars 12.1 km
  4. Les-Claux 14.7 km

On the road

  • Water 0 km
  • Water 0 km
  • Les 3 Frangins (Restaurant) 0 km
  • O'Délices (Restaurant) 0 km
  • Dedans Dehors (Restaurant) 0 km
  • La Feuille de Banane (Restaurant) 0 km
  • Water 0 km
  • La Bolée (Restaurant) 0 km
  • Water 0 km
  • Le catinat fleuri (Restaurant) 0 km
  • La laverie des copains (Café) 0 km
  • Le Guillestrin (Restaurant) 0 km

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
ClimbStarts atOn this rideFull ascentTop on this ride
Guillestre climb (1655 m)0.1 km9.4 km · 648 m · 6.9 % · max 10.9 %9.3 km · 648 m · 6.9 %1656 m
Saint-Marcellin climb10.8 km8.7 km · 475 m · 5.5 % · max 8.4 %8.7 km · 475 m · 5.5 %2109 m

High point 2109 m at 19.5 km; low point 1007 m.

On this ride: the part this route climbs, cut from its own elevation profile. Full ascent: the whole named climb, measured the same way on every ride that uses it (its climb page).

Guillestre climb (1655 m) · full ascent, starts at 0.1 km

9.3 km at 6.9% · 648 m
1,1001,2001,3001,4001,5001,600m7.7%8.7%9.7%7.6%6.8%7.8%2.8%0 km123456789.3 km1,655 msteepest 9.7%
< 4%4 – 7%7 – 10%> 10%

Saint-Marcellin climb · full ascent, starts at 10.8 km

8.7 km at 5.5% · 475 m
1,7001,8001,9002,0002,100m7.2%7.4%7.4%4.8%3.2%7.0%4.5%0 km123456788.7 km2,109 msteepest 7.4%

Know before you go

  • Longest stretch without café, shop or water: 8.1 km from 0.4 to 8.5 km
  • 18 km on main roads without cycle lanes
  • 11.7 km on roads with speed limit 80 km/h+
  • 2% gravel or unpaved road sections

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

2 photographs from the road

Photo: Mathieu BROSSAIS · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Robin Chubret · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Hungarian skier · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

About this route

Route line
Routed on OpenStreetMap roads with bicycle routing, then measured like a recorded ride.
Elevation
Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Best months
Ten years of ERA5 weather for Guillestre (Open-Meteo).
GPX
Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added
Page last updated

See something wrong with this ride?

Less climbing