History of the club: media from 2000 to 2022 rediscovered! To see in the gazetteGo to info

Saturday 2 May: Grand-Est regional meeting at Col du HaagGo to info

Bulletin de l'Amicale des Cyclos Cardiaques N° 166Go to info

Commemorative gathering at the Alsace balloon: presentation and new articlesGo to info

Le Passage de la Charmette

In the heart of the Beaufortin massif in Savoie, the Passage de la Charmette (FR-73-2058) is a magnificent pass offering exceptional views all the way up. From the village of Arêches, you climb 1026 m in 12.6 km, first on tarmac to the Col du Pré (FR-73-1703), then on a track (R1) to the summit.

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You might want to book a visit to Arêches - a pretty village that is reaping the benefits of winter sports - before tackling the tough climb to the Col du Pré (9.2% over 7.3km). The road is very well laid out, winding up and down and giving you the feeling of flying over Arêches. After about 3 km, you come to the village of Boudin, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France. The typical chalets, where no incongruous building breaks the charm, are spread out on the slope covered with hay meadows.

The village of BOUDIN, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France.
The typical Beaufortin houses line the slope below the Col du Pré.

At the top of the pass, you don't switch to the other side; the road continues on a false flat. After around 700m, take a wide track to the right (an old wooden sign indicates the Passage de la Charmette). This is the start of a superb ascent that takes in the blue waters of the Roselend dam, dominated by the jagged peaks of the Beaufortin, including the famous Pierra Menta.

The lake of the Roselend dam seen from the Charmette track

After 4.6 km, you come to a ridge in the middle of the mountain pastures, the summit of the Passage de la Charmette. On the western slope, you can see the valley at the bottom of which nestles the Saint-Guérin dam. Beyond, the track leads to the summit of Cormet d'Arêches (FR-73-2109). The descent on this side is along a narrow path (S2-3) where the Tarine cows will show you the ropes. You can also return to the Col du Pré road and cross the dam wall to find the Col de Méraillet (FR-73-1605) . On the edge of the D217 leading to Cormet de Roselend (FR-73-1968), we discover the very photogenic Roselend chapel.

Roselend chapel © Hervé Peyre
Alpine chalets near Lake Roselend

Shortly before the chapel, on the left, a track (R1-2) leads to the Sur Frêtes pass (FR-73-1792). The return to Arêches can be made either by going back over the Col du Pré (but this is a real pleasure), or by taking the top of the Col de Méraillet (FR-73-1605) towards Beaufort. This village gives its name to the mountains you have admired and to the cheese you can load your saddlebags with on the way back to Arêches on the D218.

René Poty