Col du Piéfroid

Col du Piéfroid

France, europe

Length

N/A

Elevation

2,937 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Col du Piéfroid is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.937m (9,635ft) above the sea level, located in the Isère department in the Rhône-Alpes region of south-eastern France. It’s

one of the highest roads of Europe.

The road to the summit is gravel, rocky, tippy and bumpy at times. The road is impassable in winters. Great trail for experienced wheelers. Avoid driving in this area if unpaved mountain roads aren't your strong point. It’s a chairlift access trail. 4x4 required. Stay away if you're scared of heights. Expect a trail pretty steep. Wet conditions may make for tough driving along the muddy road. It’s

one of the highest roads of the country.

Embark on a journey like never before! Navigate through our

to discover the most spectacular roads of the world

Drive Us to Your Road!

With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click

 to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.

Share this road

Road Details

Country
France
Continent
europe
Max Elevation
2,937 m
Difficulty
hard

Related Roads in europe

Where is Pic de Monturull?hard

Where is Pic de Monturull?

🌍 Andorra

Touch the sky at Pic de Monturull (aka Torre dels Soldats), a crazy-high peak straddling the border between Spain and Andorra! This epic route connects Catalonia with Andorra, offering one of the most intense off-road climbs in the eastern Pyrenees – seriously, it’s up there with the highest roads in the country. Where is it? Think rugged Pyrenees, serving as the ultimate boundary line. This isn't just a road; it's a historical route used for border patrol. Check out the old military ruins near the summit – barracks and observation posts frozen in time. Cool, right? Heads up: this is an unpaved adventure. We're talking loose gravel, shale, and straight-up natural rock. If you're not a pro at unpaved mountain roads, maybe skip this one. You absolutely need a high-clearance 4x4; anything less and you're asking for trouble. The track is narrow and exposed, winding through alpine meadows and rocky ridges. One wrong move and… well, let's not think about that. From the village of Bixessarri in Andorra, it's 18.7 km (11.6 miles) to the summit. Get ready for a serious workout with an elevation gain of 1,151 meters. The average gradient is steep, with 15 hairpin turns that demand your full attention. Each turn is a test of skill, needing perfect throttle control to keep traction on that loose surface. And with a climb this long, make sure your ride is in tip-top shape and the tank is full! Important: This road is usually closed from October to June. The elevation (over 2,200 meters) means heavy snow and ice make it impassable. Even in summer, mountain storms can turn everything into a slippery mess. Check the weather forecast for both Spain and Andorra before you even think about tackling this beast.

Where is the Kemaliye Stone Road?extreme

Where is the Kemaliye Stone Road?

🇹🇷 Turkey

Okay, picture this: you're in eastern Turkey, smack-dab in the Erzincan Province, ready for an adventure. Forget your smooth highways, because you're about to tackle the Kemaliye Stone Road! This isn't your average Sunday drive. We're talking a hand-built path clinging to the side of the Kemaliye Karanlık Canyon, a gorge so deep the sun barely peeks in (it's the second biggest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon). Spanning just 8.7 kilometers from the D877 to Gümüşçeşme, it sounds short, right? Don't be fooled. This narrow track, often less than 2 meters wide, snakes its way through a staggering *38 tunnels*. Yes, you read that right, 38! These aren't fancy, well-lit tunnels, either. They're carved right into the rock, a testament to the sheer willpower of the locals who started building this thing way back in 1870 and didn't finish until 2002. That's over 130 years! Why so long? Because the terrain is brutal. You're hugging cliffs hundreds of meters above the raging Euphrates, with no guardrails to save you from a tumble. This isn't a road for the faint of heart, or for larger vehicles (think less than 170cm wide and 220cm tall). And definitely avoid it in winter, or even wet conditions, when the dirt turns to treacherous mud. But if you're an experienced driver craving a thrill and some truly surreal scenery, the Kemaliye Stone Road is calling your name. Just remember to take it slow, and maybe say a little prayer at the memorial for those who lost their lives building this insane, incredible road.

Where is Majelletta?easy

Where is Majelletta?

🇮🇹 Italy

Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Wanna tackle a seriously scenic climb in the heart of Italy? Then Majelletta, nestled in the Abruzzo region's Parco Nazionale della Majella, needs to be on your radar. This beauty tops out at 1,897m (6,223ft), and the views? Unreal! Up top, you'll find a mountain refuge (Rifugio Bruno Pomilio), a huge parking area, and enough communication towers to make your head spin. Oh, and it's the launching point for another road that takes you even HIGHER, to 2,072m! The 3.6 km (2.23 miles) paved road (Strada Provinciale 64) is in great shape these days. It climbs 250 meters, so you're looking at an average gradient of around 7% with some sections hitting double digits. Expect this route to be closed from November to April because of snow, so plan accordingly. This climb has some serious cycling history too, having featured in the Giro d'Italia back in the day. It's even got a juicy story about a famous cyclist collapsing here once. How's that for bragging rights?

Where is Gülizar Tepe?hard

Where is Gülizar Tepe?

🇹🇷 Turkey

Okay, adventure-seekers, let's talk about Gülizar Tepe in eastern Turkey, right near the Iranian border! This isn't your average Sunday drive. We're talking about a high mountain pass sitting pretty at 2,928 meters (that's 9,606 feet!). Seriously, it's one of the highest roads you'll find in Turkey. Now, fair warning: forget the pavement. This 24.6 km (15.28 mile) stretch from Taşkesen to Atadamı is all unpaved, so a 4x4 is your best friend here. Expect a steep climb, and if it's been raining? Get ready for some seriously muddy conditions. But hey, think of the views from the top! You're snaking along the boundary between Ağrı and Van provinces, so get ready for some awesome scenery. This is one for the memory books!