Road Trip Guide: Conquering Col des Ruillans in the Hautes-Alpes
France, europe
8.3 km
3,231 m
hard
Year-round
# Col des Ruillans: A Wild Alpine Adventure
Ready for one of Europe's most extreme driving experiences? Col des Ruillans sits at a jaw-dropping 3,231m (10,600ft) in the Hautes-Alpes, making it one of the continent's highest roads. You'll find it nestled within the stunning Écrins National Park in southeastern France's Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. And yes, there's actually a bar at the summit—because why not celebrate your conquest with a drink?
Now, here's the catch: this isn't your typical Sunday drive. Starting from La Grave, the 8.3 km (5.15 miles) route climbs a brutal 1,742m with an average gradient of nearly 21%. We're talking steep. The entire road is unpaved and basically serves as a chairlift access trail, which means you'll need a seriously modified vehicle to even attempt it. Regular cars? Absolutely not.
The real kicker? You can only realistically drive this beast during a tiny window at the end of August, when the snow finally melts enough to make the road passable. Winter and spring? Forget about it. But if you time it right and your vehicle is up for the challenge, you're looking at one of the most spectacular alpine experiences France has to offer, surrounded by some genuinely breathtaking scenery.
Where is it?
Road Trip Guide: Conquering Col des Ruillans in the Hautes-Alpes is located in France (europe). Coordinates: 45.2688, 3.4338
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 8.3 km
- Max Elevation
- 3,231 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 45.2688, 3.4338
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