Cormet de Roselend from Beaufort (D925): 20.1 km at 5.9% | Legendary Climbs of the Tour de France

France Cormet de Roselend (Beaufort - D925)

Cormet de Roselend (Beaufort - D925) Bike Climb - PJAMM Cycling

22.6

PDI

12.5 mi

DISTANCE

3,930 ft

GAINED

ELEVATION GAINED

5.9 %

AVG. GRADE

AVG. GRADIENT

FULL CLIMB STATS

Page Contributor(s): Ard Oostra, Montreux, Switzerland; Lisa Irizarry & Matt Jiang, NY, NY

INTRO

Cormet de Roselend from Beaufort climbs 20.1 km (12.5 mi) on the D925, gaining 1198 m (3,930 ft) at an average grade of 5.9% to the 1968 m (6,457 ft) pass between the Beaufortain and the Tarentaise. This is the direct, classic Route des Grandes Alpes line to the Cormet - no detour over Col du Pré, just a steady road that does its climbing in two clean blocks.

The first block is the harder one: about 12 km (7.5 mi) of consistent 6-9% through forest, broken by a short easier stretch alongside the Doron torrent before a series of big, regular hairpins carries you up to the Col du Méraillet at 1605 m (5,266 ft). The top of the Méraillet is the moment this climb is known for - the trees open up and Lac de Roselend appears all at once below you, with the Roselend dam at its far end.

From there the road runs almost flat along the lakeshore for about 3 km (1.9 mi), a genuine recovery section, before the second block climbs roughly 5 km (3.1 mi) at just over 6% through open alpine pasture, grazed in summer by the Tarine cows whose milk goes into Beaufort cheese, to the pass. The Cormet de Roselend has been a Tour de France regular since 1979; the Tour's recent visits from this side have come in over Col du Pré, joining this road at the lake for the same final climb.

PLAN YOUR ROUTE

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From Beaufort, the D925 climbs 20.1 km (12.5 mi) at a 5.9% average, gaining 1198 m (3,930 ft). That average hides a two-part climb with a recovery section in the middle.

The first 12 km (7.5 mi), up to the Col du Méraillet, are the meat of the climb, holding close to 7% the whole way. Most kilometers sit between 6.5% and 7.8%; the one easy kilometer comes around km 4-5 along the Doron torrent, and it's followed right away by the steepest stretch of the climb, with the steepest kilometer averaging 8.7%. The steepest mile averages 7.9%, and the steepest 5 km (3.1 mi) still average 7.5%.

From the Méraillet the road stays nearly level for about 3 km (1.9 mi) along Lac de Roselend, even dropping slightly, before the final climb of roughly 5 km (3.1 mi) at just over 6% to the pass. There's no single brutal pitch anywhere - this is a climb about rhythm and pacing rather than surviving a wall.

Roadway: The D925 is a well-maintained, two-lane departmental road paved the entire way, as you'd expect from one of the signature sections of the Route des Grandes Alpes. Rockfall is the main hazard on the forested lower slopes: in late May 2025 a slide of roughly 100-150 m³ closed the road between Beaufort and the Col du Méraillet for a few days. The pass is closed by snow in winter, so check the Arêches-Beaufort tourist office's road status page or Savoie-route.fr before riding in spring or late autumn.

Traffic: Moderate in summer. As the main road over the Cormet, the D925 carries through traffic, motorcycles and Route des Grandes Alpes tourers, and the Roselend dam and lakeshore are a popular stop, so expect parked cars and people on foot there on summer days. Early mornings are noticeably quieter.

Parking: To ride the full climb, start from Beaufort. To shorten it, there's parking around the Roselend dam and lakeshore, and near the Refuge du Plan de la Lai about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the summit.

The grades never get extreme, so standard road gearing works, though a compact crankset makes the 12 km (7.5 mi) block to the Méraillet more comfortable over a long day. The lakeside flat is exposed, and a headwind there can take more out of you than the climbing does.

Beaufort has full services for a final stock-up. Higher up, the Refuge du Plan de la Lai, a Club Alpin Français hut roughly 2 km (1.2 mi) below the summit on the GR5 and Tour du Beaufortain hiking routes, serves drinks and lunch on its terrace in summer - a good spot to refill. At nearly 2000 m (6,562 ft), the top can be cold and windy even in July, so carry a layer for the descent.

Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.

The Roselend dam is the landmark this side of the climb gets closest to: a 150 m (492 ft) high buttress-arch dam, 804 m (2,638 ft) long, finished in 1962. When the reservoir began filling in 1960 it drowned the old alpine hamlet of Roselend and several of its summer pastures - the lakeside chapel you'll pass (more on it on our Bourg-Saint-Maurice page) was rebuilt on the shore as a reminder of the village. It's worth a stop on the way up or down.

For something more active, the Roc du Vent via ferrata is reached from the Cormet road near Roselend and gives a 360° view over the Beaufortain after about a 45-minute approach walk. Beaufort itself, with its cheese cooperative, is the natural base, and the Refuge du Plan de la Lai near the top offers dormitory stays for anyone making a multi-day trip on the Route des Grandes Alpes. Before heading up, check conditions at the pass with our Weather tool.