Col de la Bonnette  

bikeBonnette / Restefond
23.8 kms;  1,600 metres ascent;  Start: Jausiers Top:  2,802 metres
 Last Climbed: July 2006

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Glandon  Glandon  Glandon

Col de la Bonnette is the highest Tour de France Col as it is the highest paved road in France. The road signs claim to be the highest road in Europe, although there are certainly competing claims elsewhere. Bonnette first appeared in the tour de France in 1962 and 1964, both times The Eagle of Toledo, Frederico Bahamontès, was the first over the Col - The Agle was a six time winner of the Best climber Award in the Tour.

There are two primary routes up Bonnette.

  • From the north, the classic Route from Jausiers, which I have climbed, also passes through the Col de Restefond at 2,680 metres.
  • From the south, starts in St.-Etienne-de-Tinée, also passes through the Col de Raspaillon at 2,513 metres.
  • And a lesser known southern route via Col de la Moutiére.

 Blog Entry Summer 2006 - Along with Izoard this was my main trip objective.  A spectacular ride up to rarified heights.  Luckily I had Doreen as driver /photographer today So I didn't need to carry too much ... every ounce feels like too much and I swore to diet at least three times.

The road "only" goes to just over 2,700 metres and thus would be lower than the Col d'Iseran (July 2005).  So they build a crazy loop around the mountain peak to reach 2,802 metres.  This last 100 metres up feels exactly that ... straight up --- steep! 

  I slipped off my bike passing some people and the bastard i was riding with took off, as I got on with half a kilometre to go, I sucked every last molecule of thin oxygen and passed him to finsih gasping (I won't say how much older he was than me as it would wreck the drama). 

  We also hiked up to an observation point at 2,860.  It's a pretty ugly hunk of rock at the top but its higher than most of the surrounding neighbours so the views are great.