Rallye des Cols — Col du Galibier to Col de l’Iseran via Haute-Maurienne

This isn’t a designated trail with a name on a sign — it’s a logical overland link that experienced Alpine drivers piece together through the Haute-Maurienne valley in Savoie. You climb the Col du Galibier from Valloire on the north face, summiting at 2,642m on broken tarmac with sheer drop-offs on the western shoulder, then descend to Valloire and push east via the D902 through Bonneval-sur-Arc before grinding up the Col de l’Iseran, Europe’s highest paved mountain pass at 2,770m. Between the two cols, the valley floor corridor provides genuine backcountry gravel connecting the hamlets — it’s quiet, it’s high, and the granite walls on both sides are enormous. Snow patches at the Iseran summit persist well into July and the road authority gates the pass with little warning when storms roll in off the Mont Blanc massif.

A stock AWD handles the sealed tarmac sections in good summer conditions, but gravel connectors through the Maurienne require higher clearance. Ground clearance of 200mm minimum is wise; overlanders with rooftop tents should watch height on a few rock-cut sections approaching the Galibier tunnel. No permits are needed but Vignette-style tolls do not apply here — the roads are free. Fuel in Modane or Lanslebourg before heading up; nothing at elevation. The area falls inside the Vanoise National Park buffer zone, so dispersed camping is restricted — stick to designated sites at Lanslebourg or Bonneval. August weekends bring cyclists in numbers; respect the road width and take your time.