Col de la Forclaz

The Martigny to Trient pass on the Mont Blanc axis toward Chamonix, a Tour de France climb.

The Col de la Forclaz lifts the road from Martigny in the Rhone valley over a 1527m col into the Trient valley, the main Swiss link toward Chamonix and Mont Blanc. It is a steady, well-surfaced climb through vineyards and forest, averaging around 6 percent with steeper pitches, and gained wider fame as a 2016 Tour de France climb. It usually stays open in winter but can need chains. Mind the winter ice and the linked Col des Montets closures, the tour-bus and cyclist traffic in season, and the steeper hairpins near the top.