AI quick summary
- The Col du Galibier climbs to 2642 m, making it one of the highest paved passes used regularly by the Tour de France.
- It first appeared in the Tour in 1911, when Émile Georget crossed it on a single-speed bike; the Henri Desgrange memorial at the summit honours the Tour's founder.
- The classic north-side ascent pairs with the Col du Télégraphe to form a 35 km climbing effort from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne.
- Altitude is the hidden difficulty — at 2642 m there is roughly 25% less oxygen available than at sea level.
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The climb at a glance
The Col du Galibier sits on the border between the Savoie and the Hautes-Alpes, linking the Maurienne valley to the north with the Lautaret corridor and Briançon to the south. It is not the steepest of the great Tour cols — that reputation belongs to the Ventoux or the Angliru — but it is among the highest and coldest, and its length is what breaks riders.
Two paved sides exist. The north side, from Valloire via the Col du Télégraphe, is the Tour's classic approach and the harder of the two. The south side, climbing from the Col du Lautaret, is longer but much gentler and rarely used in races.
Col du Galibier — key stats (Valloire to summit, north side)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 18.1 km |
| Average gradient | 6.9% |
| Steepest sustained section | ~10% (final 2 km to the summit) |
| Elevation gain | 1160 m |
| Summit elevation | 2642 m |
| First Tour appearance | 1911 |
| Full Télégraphe + Galibier effort | ~35 km |
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Tour de France history
The Galibier's Tour debut came on 10 July 1911. Émile Georget was the first rider over the top on a day so brutal that some competitors reportedly walked sections. The Tour founder, Henri Desgrange, was so moved that he declared the climb a monument to the race itself.
A stone memorial to Desgrange stands at the summit. The trophy given to the Tour's most aggressive rider each year — the Prix de la Combativité — was for decades dedicated in his name, and the climb is still sometimes referred to in French newspapers as 'the mountain of Henri Desgrange'.
The 2011 Tour marked the centenary of the first crossing. Andy Schleck attacked alone on the Galibier's upper slopes and rode to a long-range stage win at the summit of Alpe d'Huez two days later — one of the most celebrated raids of the modern era.
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Iconic moments
1911 is the founding moment. Georget's single-speed ascent, on a gravel road with no support, is the template against which every subsequent Galibier performance is judged.
2011 again. On the centenary stage, Andy Schleck rode away from the entire GC group on the Galibier descent approach, gaining nearly three minutes and reviving the debate about whether long-range attacks had disappeared from modern cycling.
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How to ride it
The classic Maurienne approach is the Télégraphe first. From Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne it is 12 km at 7.3% to the Télégraphe summit, then a fast 5 km descent into Valloire where the Galibier proper begins. Eat and drink during the Télégraphe descent — there are few gentle sections on what follows.
The Galibier's first 10 km from Valloire are gentle — 5 to 6% through alpine meadow. The road then steepens through a series of switchbacks above the Plan Lachat bridge. The final 3 km, from the Lautaret junction to the summit, are the crux: 9 to 10% on a narrow road with no shade.
Altitude is the real opponent. At 2642 m there is roughly 25% less oxygen than at sea level. Most amateur riders lose 10 to 15% of their sea-level power on the upper slopes. Pace the final 3 km as if you were riding a 6% gradient climb at sea level, and you will arrive.
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When to ride
The road is typically closed from November to early June due to snow. July and August are the only months when the full Télégraphe–Galibier loop can be relied on. Even in summer, descend with a windbreaker — the summit temperature is frequently 15 to 20°C colder than the valley floor.
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