An honest confession of an unfulfilled cycling dream. Read about the feared passes of Col du Glandon (1,924 m) and Col de la Croix de Fer (2,067 m), their punishing profiles, and a chilling nighttime memory from the French Alps.
There are mountain passes you have already conquered, photographed, and ticked off in your logbook. And then there are the rare gems still missing from your collection.
In philately, stamp collectors spend their entire lives hunting for the legendary Blue Mauritius. For me, that elusive, uncollected treasure is the high-alpine combo of c (1,924 m) and Col de la Croix de Fer (2,067 m).
I have to be completely honest: I have never actually ridden my bike up these slopes. Yet, the promise to do so was born years ago under very unusual circumstances.
🌙 A Chilling Memory from a Dark Alpine Night
We were driving back from an exhausting day riding Alpe d’Huez, heading towards Grenoble. It was late at night, pitch-black outside, and the road twisted between massive, inhospitable walls of rock. Our headlights cut narrow beams through the darkness, casting haunting shadows against the looming massifs of Glandon and Croix de Fer.
The sense of raw majesty, isolation, and mythical peace was so overwhelming that chills ran down my spine. Sitting in that warm car with tired legs after Alpe d’Huez, I made a silent, solemn vow: “I have to come back here. On a road bike. No excuses.”
Years have passed, and I’ve logged dozens of other 2,000-meter Alpine passes, but this particular gem is still missing from my album. As every passionate cyclist knows, some climbs simply need time to mature in your mind.
⛰️ Two Passes in One Go: The Master Plan
Even though I haven’t unclipped my bike from the rack here yet, I have studied the route profile and local details down to the last millimeter. Glandon and Croix de Fer are like Siamese twins of the Savoie Alps—separated by barely 3 kilometers—and skipping one while at the other would be an absolute cycling crime.
- Col du Glandon (1,924 m): Wild, sharp, and uncompromising. The final kilometer below the saddle throws a wall-like ramp at you with a gradient of 11% to 12%, demanding every last watt and your easiest gear.
- Col de la Croix de Fer (2,067 m): The majestic brother sitting 143 meters higher. At its summit stands the iconic iron cross, offering panoramic views toward the Aiguilles d’Arves glacier.
Riding across the ridge from the summit of Glandon to the iron cross at Croix de Fer takes just a few minutes. It is easily the most accessible “second 2,000-meter pass” you can add to your cycling CV in a single effort!
🚴♂️ The Profile: Ascent from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
When the day finally comes, the ride will start from the famous cycling hub of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.
- Distance: 21 km
- Elevation Gain: 1,300 m
- Average Gradient: 6.1% (Deceptively misleading!)
While a 6.1% average gradient sounds innocent on paper, the profile is notoriously treacherous. The climb includes two brief downhill sectors that artificially lower the overall average. In reality, gentle 5% sections constantly give way to brutal ramps where your head unit bounces between 9% and 11%.
The road winds through deep forests, wild gorges, and past the massive Grand Maison Dam, before opening up into a high-alpine amphitheater where trees vanish, leaving only raw, rocky wasteland. Exactly what I caught a glimpse of years ago in the glare of car headlights.
🟡 TdF Spotlight: Where History Was Written
Both passes are absolute legends of the Tour de France. Croix de Fer has featured in the race over 20 times (debuting in 1947), while Glandon boasts more than 15 crossings.
Icons like Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault used these slopes to crush rivals during grueling “Queen Stages.” Furthermore, the downhill off Glandon towards Lac de Verney is regarded as one of the fastest and most technical in France—in 2015, French rider Romain Bardet launched a daredevil attack on this very descent to secure a famous stage victory.
☕ Dreaming of Coffee at the Iron Cross
One day, that morning will arrive. I’ll unclip my bike in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, warm up my legs, and dive into those 21 kilometers of climbing.
And when I finally reach the iconic Iron Cross (Croix de Fer) at 2,067 meters after gaining 1,300 meters of elevation, I’ll lean my carbon frame against the wooden railing, order an espresso and a slice of blueberry tart on the terrace, and say to myself: “There it is. The Blue Mauritius is finally in the album!”
Because that is what cycling is truly about: dreaming, planning, and the magic moment when a nighttime memory from a car turns into the greatest feeling in the saddle.
foto: Bigstockphoto, pexels
