The Col de la Bonette, between the Ubaye valley and the Mercantour, owes its reputation to a loop road that climbs to 2,802 m around the neighbouring Cime de la Bonette — a “highest road in Europe” title that makes it one of the most sought-after altitude targets for cyclists.
A road built to flirt with 2,800 m
From Jausiers, the road climbs about 24 km for 1,600 m of elevation gain, averaging around 6.7%, through the Ubaye valley and then an increasingly bare high-mountain landscape above the treeline. The actual pass sits at 2,715 m, but a loop built in the 1960s lets you bypass the Cime de la Bonette by climbing to 2,802 m, higher than Italy’s Passo dello Stelvio.
The summit landscape, made of scree fields and vast barren expanses, feels closer to a high-altitude Andean backdrop than a classic Alpine road.
Getting the ride right
A compact or triple crankset is almost essential on this long high-altitude climb, where the thinner air makes itself felt in the final kilometres. The descent, fully exposed to the wind with no cover at all, calls for warm layers even in high summer.
When to go
July to September, as the road stays closed by snow for much of the year at this altitude. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer — best to start early in the morning to be back down before the first storms build.
Good to know
Jausiers and Barcelonnette, in the Ubaye valley, offer a decent choice of accommodation, with convenient access to Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée on the south side to combine the climb with a full crossing toward the Mercantour and the Côte d’Azur.
