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The Col du Mollard

Toponymy

The Col du Mollard FR-73-1638 has a place name that occurs regularly in the Alps

The name of Mollardin the former molar or molardIt is regularly found in the Alps.

The place name comes from the Latin molarum which refers to a hamlet located "on a mamelon - a rounded top of a hill/mountain - or a small plateau".

Please note: there are two cols du Mollard in Savoie : (FR-73-1320b), rated R1, is located in the north of the Chartreuse massif (on the GR9).

Geographical location

Massif

The Col du Mollard is located in the Arves massif

View of the Aiguilles d'Arves from the Col du Mollard (photo alpes4ever)

Geology

The Col du Mollard lies on the edge of the Plateau d'Albiez, which slopes roughly south-north. It offers a wide flat area that is unusual in these parts. It originates from a combe carved out of horizontal marl strata that have not been folded. This combe was widened by the Aiguilles d'Arves glacier as it descended to the north and then filled in by glacial alluvium.

To the west, Mont Charvin attracts attention with the vast Combe Génin gap carved out of the gypsum layers, revealing a harrow of tapering points made of cargneule, a limestone that is much harder to erode.

Hydrography

To the north, between Albiez le Vieux and Albiez le Jeune, flows the Torrent du Merderel.

To the south, the water flows towards the Rieu Gilbert.

These 2 torrents are tributaries of the Arvan (a tributary of the Arc).

Administrative status

The Col du Mollard is located in the commune of Albiez-Montrond (Savoie),

Access and neighbouring passes

To the south the D80 joins the route de la Croix de Fer - D526 (Saint Jean de Maurienne - Saint Sorlin d'Arves) at Belleville bridge (1228 m).

To the north the D80, passes Albiez-le-Vieux, and after Albiez-le-Jeune takes the Villargondran switchbacks to join the Maurienne.

After Albiez-le-Vieux, the D110 leads to the Arvan valley and Saint Jean de Maurienne via Gévoudaz. This road was used for the first time by the BRA in 1979, in the uphill direction (St Jean de Maurienne - Gévoudaz -Albiez).

This route passes over two passes listed in the Club des Cent Cols catalogue:
La Cochette (FR-73-1355) and Le Collet (FR-73-1150)
For the "purists" please note that - although noted on the D110 in the CCC catalogue - La Cochette is slightly to the north of the D110, in the centre of the hamlet of the same name (see CCWay - Google Earth).

Sightseeing - tourism - history

A Albiez-Montrond (Chemin de l'Adret, le Mollard) : Ecomusée le temps d'Antan.
The Opinel knife was invented by Joseph Opinel (1872-1960) in 1890, when he was 18 years old, at Gevoudaz, hamlet of Albiez-le-Vieux.