Travel Guide to Pas de la Graille
France, europe
45 km
1,597 m
hard
Year-round
# Pas de la Graille: A Curvy Alpine Adventure
Nestled in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region of southeastern France, Pas de la Graille sits pretty at 1,597m (5,239ft) above sea level. Also called Col de Frère Jean, this mountain pass connects to the Signal de Lure via a seriously twisty, challenging paved route that'll keep you on your toes.
The road—marked as D53—is narrow and steep with hairpin turns galore. You'll wind through dense forests most of the way, though the steepness actually creates some gorgeous peekaboo viewpoints through the trees. Fair warning: as you descend, the road gets a bit rougher and uneven, but nothing too scary.
This roughly 45km (28-mile) stretch runs north-south from Saint-Étienne-les-Orgues to Valbelle, with the real climb happening over the first 18km (11.2 miles) from the starting town. The gradient stays pretty consistent—think 6-8% for most of it—which makes maintaining a steady pace totally doable. Once you break free from the forest with about 5km to go, things ease up considerably, dropping to 4%, then almost flatting out at just 1% for that final kilometer.
It's the kind of road that rewards you with stunning views and a real sense of accomplishment. Perfect for anyone looking to tackle some proper Alpine scenery.
Where is it?
Travel Guide to Pas de la Graille is located in France (europe). Coordinates: 46.3447, 1.2460
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 45 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,597 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 46.3447, 1.2460
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