Col de la Morte
One way to reach the cycling resort Bourg d'Oisans from the
south is to ride over Col de
Marissol and Col de la Morte. The more obvious route is
probably Col de Parquetout and Col
d'Ornon. The route over Col de la Morte is more heavily
forested and has fewer impressive far views, but instead
some really isolated village decay, that looked especially
appealing in the rain to me.
|
01.(00.0km,596m)
START-END SOUTH ALT: D526 bridge across Drac, south of
La Mure
02.(04.7km,876m) east end of La Mure
03.(09.5km,953m) Nantes en Ratier
04.(12.0km,m) Col de Malissol
05.(14.5km,1003m) la Valette
06.(15.5km,950m) START-END SOUTH: intermediate low
point
07.(18.5km,1012m) Fontagneu
08.(21.1km,1061m) les Mazoirs
09.(22.6km,1096m) lower turnoff to Moulin Viex, near
le Villard
10.(26.5km,1379m) TOP: point of highest altitude, just
east of town la Morte
11.(39.4km,494m) road on left goes to Laffrey
12.(41.5km,371m) START-END NORTH: road joins D1091 in
Gorge de la Romanche |
 Approaches
From South. The profile shows an approach over the lower Col
de Malissol. The description starts after this descent
reaches a low point on D114 in the valley of the Roizonne. The
road does some twisting exercises to thread through the centers
of the small clusters of houses of Lavaidans. Les Mezoirs is
easier, but the houses are just as overgrown from time and vine.
At least two of the villages in the valley have public fountains
placed under a roof (along with a payphone), which make a great
opportunity to get out of the rain, should that be the case.
Meanwhile the mountains lining this valley have lost their
rounded aunt hive character and acquired a rocky peak look. I
don't know exactly where this happened. The clouds revealed them
for the first time when approaching Chabotte Moulin-Vieux. A
small 1km detour leads to a peaceful bench, that can be used as
the ultimate pique-nique site, located at the dead end of the
road, and the beginning of a wildly romantic looking valley.
Back on D114 the climbing on this side begins in earnest on the
opposite facing slope. The illusion of isolation and another
time ends on top of the pass at the ski resort La Morte. But
this is still a fairly simple resort town - no condo towers.
From North
(described downwards). From the top of the descend you can only
catch two glimpses between the trees of the valley below. But
this is a huge drop down to the Gorge of the Romanche. The road
drops steeply through one long forested ramp to yet another
switchback after another, and the bottom hardly seems to come
closer. Just before D114 reaches N91 in the gorge, it traverses
on more sleepy village, a reminder of the other side of the
pass, that is now behind us.
A day on an Extended Tour
with this point as highest summit:
(< Col de Malissol|Col
du Glandon>)
Col de Morte, Col
de Malissol: Theafrey > small roads and paths
with detours onto D115 > Col de Malissol(shp?) >
Chabotte Moulin Viex > Col de la Morte > up N91 Gorge de
la Romanche > Bourg d'Oisans <> a few miles of
shopping: 49.2miles with 6090ft of climbing in 4:42hrs
back to Cycling
Passes in Europe
|
