Col de la Croix

The giant of the Alpes Vaudoises, a long climb linking Villars-sur-Ollon and Les Diablerets over a 1,778m saddle with views to the Diablerets glacier.

Climbing out of the resort of Villars-sur-Ollon, the Route du Col de la Croix winds through alpine pasture and pine to the 1,778m col before dropping to Les Diablerets at the foot of its namesake glacier. It is one of the longest sustained climbs in French-speaking Switzerland, with a steady run of hairpins, narrow farm-road sections and big drops toward Les Diablerets. The tarmac is good but the road is single-and-a-bit-lane in places and shared with cyclists, who know it well. Open only in the warmer months. Mind the narrow unguarded stretches above Les Diablerets, frequent cyclists on the climb, and loose grit early and late in the season.