www.cycling-challenge.com/col-du-galibier-via-the-old-road/

1. Briançon to Lautaret

My goal was to avoid the somewhat busy/fast main road that road cyclists are forced to take. My mapped 27 kilometres stretch worked better than I hoped, completely avoiding the main road using a series of trails and small paved/unpaved roads. Even better, most of the route, especially as I progressed, was beautiful. See details on the map at bottom.

2. The old road to Col du Galibier

First built in the 1880’s, this was the only way up the south side until 1938. As best I can tell it was abandoned/closed in 1947. This means that between 1911 and 1938 the Tour de France would have climbed or descended this road over twenty times. It is far to the east of the modern road and except near the beginning the two routes don’t intersect until the top near the Desgranges monument at the entrance of the tunnel (2556 metres).

Steepest stretch is below Col du Lautaret

It’s easy to find the old road: it’s intersects the main road roughly two kilometres below Col du Lautaret (just before the paravalanche tunnels). But the climb begins roughly a kilometre below … probably the steepest stretch. The entire ascent is shorter and thus steeper than the modern road at roughly 10% average versus closer to 7% for the equivalent paved ascent.

Regardless, it’s super fun and far quieter mid-summer than the only option available to road cyclists. The views are dominated by the glaciers atop some of the bigger peaks of the Massif des Écrins on the far side of Lautaret.

On my map the route is labeled as a downhill mountain bike trail and I would see a dozen or so descending. But apart from that and a couple of old farm buildings, it was deserted.