Cormet de Roselend, Mountain pass in Beaufort, France.
Cormet de Roselend is a mountain pass in the French Alps, sitting at around 1,968 feet (1,968 m), that links the Beaufortain valley to the Tarentaise. The road alternates between forested lower slopes and open high ground before passing alongside the Roselend reservoir.
The pass was first included in the Tour de France route in 1979 and has since appeared regularly among the race's hardest climbs. Before the road was built, the crossing was used mainly for moving cattle between the two valleys.
The road passes summer pastures where cows graze to produce the milk used for Beaufort cheese, a hard cheese made in this region. Farms and herds along the route give a clear sense of how mountain dairy life still shapes the area today.
The pass is usually closed from mid-October to mid-May due to snow, so a summer visit is the most reliable option. The climb is steep in its upper section, so cyclists in particular should plan enough time and watch for changing weather.
The road is made up of two very different sections: a forested climb to Col de Meraillet, then an open road running alongside Roselend Lake. The second part includes grades of up to 9.6 percent and runs directly above the water, giving a different feel from the first half.
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