Col des Champs (elevation ) is a high

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...

in the Alps at the border between the departments of

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or sometimes abbreviated as AHP (; oc, Aups d'Auta Provença; ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east, Var to the south, Vaucluse to the west ...

and

Alpes-Maritimes Alpes-Maritimes (; oc, Aups Maritims; it, Alpi Marittime, "Maritime Alps") is a department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, it ...

in France. It connects Saint-Martin-d'Entraunes and

Colmars Colmars or Colmars-les-Alpes (''Còumars'' in provençal) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. The official name of the commune, according to the geographical code of the INSEE, is "Colmars", but it ...

, joining the valleys of the Var River and the Verdon River. Together with the Col de la Cayolle and the Col d'Allos it forms part of a popular round trip for cyclists (see for example ).

Details of the climb

The western side, from

, is 12.5 km long, climbing at an average of 6.6%. The state of the pavement is partly very poor (as of August 2014). While some parts are recently renovated, others contain numerous potholes and are covered by loose gravel. On this side mountain pass cycling milestones for cyclists are placed approximately every kilometre. They indicate the current height, the distance to the summit, the average slope in the following passage, as well as the number of the street (D2). Starting from Saint-Martin-d'Entraunes, the climb is 16.5 km gaining , resulting in an average of 6.4%. The state of the pavement is generally good on this side. No signposts for cyclists are placed on this side. However, every kilometre a sign indicates the altitude, as well as the distance to the summit (uphill) or the next villages (uphill and downhill).

The exact height

The height of the summit is commonly specified by , including the signpost at the summit used until 2013. However, the current signpost at the summit indicates a height of (see below). A topographic map Topographic map published by IGN Number 3540 OT, Scale 1:25 000. of the French Institut géographique national marks at this position of the sign, and some 50 metres away from the signpost. Col des Champs cycling milestone.jpg, One of the mountain pass cycling milestones along the climb from

Col de Champs Summit 2013.jpg, Signpost at the summit of the Col des Champs as of 2013 Col de Champs Summit 2014.jpg, Signpost at the summit of the Col des Champs as of 2014

References

External links

Profile on cyclos-cyclotes.orgDescription on Quäldich.de (in German)Cycling up to the Col des Champs: data, profile, map, photos and description
Mountain passes of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Mountain passes of the Alps {{Provence-geo-stub