Col d'Ornon via the Lignarre valley
Road cycling
- Distance
- 13.9 km
- Elevation
- 650 m
- Est. time
- 55 min
- Power
- 220 W
- Max altitude
- 1,368 m
- Avg gradient
- 4.6%
The climb: 11.1 km averaging 5.8%, 8.6% at its steepest, 651 m of elevation gain, from La Paute to the col.
Time and power estimated for a 75 kg rider at 220 W, climbing without stopping. Route from OpenStreetMap, altitudes from Copernicus.
The Col d'Ornon is the ideal ride to get the legs going. Leave town on the Grenoble road, turn left at La Paute and head up the Lignarre valley on the D526. A quiet road, between cliffs, forests and hamlets. The gradient is irregular, with a few flatter sections up to the Pont des Oulles, then it gets harder over the last five kilometres. At the top, at 1,371 m, you tip over towards the Valbonnais. The Tour de France has crossed it nine times since 1966, most recently in 2026 on the Gap-Alpe d'Huez stage.
- 11.1 km averaging 5.8% from La Paute, 2.5 km from the lodge
- 9 Tour de France crossings since 1966, including the 2026 stage
- A quiet road through the Lignarre valley, past forests and hamlets
- Summer
- Road rideable from May to October, weather permitting.
- Winter
- Closed in winter · reopens in May
A good ride early or late in the season: unlike the big cols nearby, the road doesn't close in winter. Take a windproof for the descent, which follows the same road.
No tunnels. The stretch of just under a kilometre on the D1091 to La Paute is busy, lorries included: keep well to the right, both ways. Since 2022, the Isère department has been making the D526 safer section by section (bridges, retaining walls), sometimes with weekday closures. Have a quick look at Itinisère before you set off.