Col des Champs
Col des Champs is a high mountain pass in the Alps at the border between the departments of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes in France. It connects Saint-Martin-d'Entraunes and Colmars, joining the valleys of the Var River and the Verdon River.
Together with the Col de la Cayolle and the Col d'Allos it forms part of a popular round trip for cyclists.
Details of the climb
The western side, starting from Colmars, is 12.5 km long, climbing at an average of 6.6%. The state of the pavement is partly very poor. While some parts are recently renovated, others contain numerous potholes and are covered by loose gravel. Along this route, mountain pass cycling milestones are placed approximately every kilometre for cyclists. These milestones indicate the current height, distance to the summit, average slope in the following passage, and also denote the street number.Starting from Saint-Martin-d'Entraunes, the climb is 16.5 km gaining, resulting in an average gradient of 6.4%. The state of the pavement is generally good along this route, there are no designated signposts for cyclists on this side. However, at intervals of every kilometre, signs are placed indicating, as well as the distance to the summit or the next villages.