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COL DE LA CAYOLLE
The Col de la Cayolle is a fundamental way that connects the Ubaye Valley with the Var Valley, or the department of Haute Provence with that of the Maritime Alps. Usually open over a period of time from June to October, it is a multi-faceted mountain pass, mainly due to the fact that it has a varied conformation to such an extent that one side is very different from the opposite one.
Location: Estenc – Uvernet Fours (FRA)
Type: mountain road
Length: 25km
Elevation: 2,326m
Taking the south side into consideration, once you pass Entraunes, the road begins to head towards the mountains and remains decently wide, alternating sections that flow into the immense valley with tunnels dug into the bare rock. When the hairpin bends begin, you will soon reach the best part for driving, while just before the summit there is a refuge open until late autumn. A few hundred meters and a bunch of hairpin bends later you reach the summit, located at an altitude of 2,326 meters, but the space to stop here is non-existent, not to mention that from this point on the road is also much narrower than before. The north side is just as panoramic, initially characterized by a more lively and green vegetation and then leaves room for a stretch that in case of traffic coming from the opposite direction will make some maneuvers mandatory. This portion is similar to the typical canyons and without necessarily playing on the vertigo factor, enhances that claustrophobic feeling that alternates between narrow bridges and dark rocky tunnels. Finally, passing Uvernet-Fours you reach Barcelonnette.
Photos by S. Lomax
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