Situated on the famous Route des Grandes Alpes, the Col de Vars is one of those climbs that every cyclist has to do one day. It is 20 kilometres long from Guillestre, and offers the chance to climb to the symbolic altitude of 2,000 metres, making it a real challenge for sports enthusiasts staying in Vars or the Hautes-Alpes.
If the average gradient is around 5.7%, it’s because Vars has a graded ascent: a steep start to the pass, with stretches at nearly 10%, and then flat stretches before crossing the resort where the gradient is again steep. The last 3 kilometres are less complicated and allow you to savour the arrival at the summit where the Parpaillon massif is the reward for the brave cyclists who have put in between 01h30 and 02h00 of effort to get this far.
