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Col du Télégraphe
The Col du Télégraphe crosses at 1,566 m between Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Valloire. Antechamber to the Galibier — and unlike it, open all year.
Florian Pépellin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Type
Road pass and fort
Access
Free
Best season
All year
Town
Valloire
Winter access
open
What is Col du Télégraphe
The Col du Télégraphe crosses at 1,566 m the barrier separating Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne from Valloire. It is the antechamber to the Galibier: from the Maurienne you cannot reach the Galibier without it.
It takes its name from the fort built between 1885 and 1893, itself raised on the site of a Chappe optical telegraph relay on the imperial Paris–Milan line. The fort is not at the pass: it is ten minutes' walk away, open in summer only and by guided tour, on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
One thing sets it apart from the other great Savoie passes: it is open all year. The Valloire tourist office's opening record shows it open from 1 January to 31 December 2026, because it serves Valloire.
Activities
What you can do here
Practical
Practical information
Altitude
1,566 m (Valloire tourist office, en.wikipedia and cols-cyclisme agree)
Coordinates
45.2025° N, 6.444444° E (en.wikipedia)
Road
Opening
All year. The Valloire tourist office's record shows it open from 1 January to 31 December 2026.
Price
Free, open access
Climb from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne
11.8 km. Height gain and gradients differ: +856 m at 7.3% / 9.7% max (Valloire tourist office) against +846 m at 7.17% / 9.8% at the summit (en.wikipedia).
Fort du Télégraphe
Built between 1885 and 1893 on the site of a Chappe telegraph relay (imperial Paris–Milan line). Ten minutes' walk from the pass. Open in summer only, guided tours, Wednesdays and Thursdays. No price published.
Tour de France
First crossing 1911, Émile Georget over the top. Since 1947, 37 crossings of which 19 ranked (en.wikipedia) — that count excludes 1911. Stage 20 of 25 July 2026 passes the col.
Parking
Dogs
Accessibility
Access
How to get there
By car
On the Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne – Valloire axis, continuing towards the Col du Galibier. No source consulted gives a road number for the Télégraphe itself.
Open in MapsBy bike
From Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne: 11.8 km, +856 m at 7.3% average and 9.7% maximum per the Valloire tourist office; +846 m at 7.17% and 9.8% at the summit per en.wikipedia. No profile from Valloire is published. First Tour de France crossing in 1911, Émile Georget over the top.
Open in MapsParking
- Free · 13 m · Go →
Parking checked on 2026-08-09 · © les contributeurs d'OpenStreetMap sous licence ODbL
When to visit
When to visit
The pass is open all year, which sets it apart from the other great Savoie passes. The fort is reachable only in summer, on guided tours Wednesdays and Thursdays: that, not the road, is what constrains when to come.
Events :
Tour de France 2026, stage 20 on Saturday 25 July, Le Bourg-d'Oisans → Alpe d'Huez, via the Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col du Télégraphe, Valloire and the Col du Galibier. No source consulted publishes closure times specific to the Télégraphe that day.
Winter
Winter season
Winter access window
Open (cleared road)
Winter infrastructure
Snowshoeing
Snow panorama
Not specified
Equipment mandated
Loi Montagne II — winter tyres or chains required (1 Nov – 31 Mar)
Nearby
Where to eat, drink, stay
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Gallery
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How high is the Col du Télégraphe?
1,566 m. It is the only pass in this batch whose altitude is not contradicted between sources.
Is the Col du Télégraphe open in winter?
Yes. The Valloire tourist office's opening record shows it open every day from 1 January to 31 December 2026. At 1,566 m it serves Valloire and is not closed in winter, unlike the Galibier just above it.
Can the Fort du Télégraphe be visited from the pass?
No, it is about ten minutes' walk from the pass. It opens in summer only and by guided tour, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with the Savoie Mont-Blanc heritage guides. No price is published.
How long is the climb from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne?
11.8 km per both sources. The height gain differs: +856 m at 7.3% average per the tourist office, +846 m at 7.17% per en.wikipedia.
Where does the pass get its name?
From the fort built between 1885 and 1893, itself raised on the site of a Chappe optical telegraph relay on the imperial Paris–Milan line.
Sources
Sources & verification
- Office de tourisme de Valloire — col du Télégraphe
- Communauté de communes Maurienne-Galibier — col du Télégraphe
- Maurienne Tourisme — col du Télégraphe
- Wikipedia (EN) — Col du Télégraphe
- Wikipedia (EN) — Fort du Télégraphe
- Cols-cyclisme — col du Télégraphe depuis Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne
- Cols-cyclisme — col du Télégraphe depuis Valloire
- Cirkwi — sentier d'interprétation du fort du Télégraphe
- Cirkwi — points de vue et panorama, col du Télégraphe
- Alpes4ever — col du Télégraphe
- Préfecture de la Savoie — Tour de France en Savoie, édition 2026
- valloire.net
Multi-source verification at publication. Information may change — confirm with the official operator before travelling.
Nearby
Nearby
Other places to explore in the area and in the same category
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Pass at 1,533 m above the Maurienne, famous for the Lacets de Montvernier: 17 or 18 hairpins depending on the source. 14 km at 7.5% to the top.
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Summit road at 2,642 m, tunnel at 2,556 m: two separate openings in 2026, on 29 May and 5 June. Free access from Valloire. Cyclists are banned from the tunnel.