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COL DE MOUTIÈRE
It is important to point out that the Col de la Moutière is not entirely asphalted. In fact, if this pass unknown to most represents one of the most scenic alpine climbs in Europe, only the southern side that leads from Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage up to an altitude of 2,444 meters can be traveled on tarmac, still paying attention to the reduced width of the road. The first stretch that immediately enters the most uncontaminated nature, constantly accompanied by rocky backgrounds, ruins of abandoned forts and small ponds, still worth the trip, offering an exciting driving experience that requires nothing more than to fully enjoy the landscape, maybe with a lunch break in the middle of nowhere.
Location: Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage
Type: mountain road
Length: 18,4 km
Elevation: 2,444 m
The point identified as the summit is practically not signposted, but gives the possibility to turn back if you are not aboard a vehicle capable of tackling the northern side, the one that also leads to the Cime de la Bonette, thus offering a chance to drive on the alpine giant par excellence, the Col de la Bonette (2,715 m). Once the asphalt ends, the road until now winding and narrow as well as twisty, becomes more treacherous due to the presence of stones on the roadway and depressions that require a ground clearance that does not imply an unexpected and difficult U-turn. The Col de la Moutière is a continuous discovery to be appreciated one curve after the other, letting you be bewitched by the background of the mountains that get closer and closer, as you rise in altitude and by the added value granted by a valley of an almost primordial silence.
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