Le col de Sarenne, at an altitude of 1 m, separates the Ferrand valley and L'Alpe d'Huez, crossing the Grandes Rousses massif.
Le col de Sarenne is often overshadowed by neighboring Alpe d'Huez, but it is also located on the Route des Grandes Alpes. This is a 720 km tourist route, which can be covered by car and allows you to discover 17 Alpine passes.
Le col de Sarenne, meeting place for cyclists
Even though the pass is accessible by motorized vehicle, it remains above all a must-see place for cyclists! It was crossed by the Tour de France for the first time in 2013 and, a month earlier, by the Critérium du Dauphiné. The latter passes through the pass again col de Sarenne in 2017, but this time from the eastern slope.
The rise of col de Sarenne remains quite secret. However, it crosses remarkable pastoral landscapes, tranquil and rather preserved. It is essential to be well trained to take on its slopes which are, moreover, particularly windy. On the western slope, you have to count on an average 8% incline with a terrible final steep slope at 10,5%!
The eastern slope is no exception, with a gradient of up to 11,5% over 1,2 km. But it's worth it because the view from the summit is exceptional and allows you to admire the Grandes Rousses massif, the Meije and the Écrins. Along the climb up the eastern slope, don't miss the view of the Chambon dam and lake, before arrival and the panorama on the Emparis plateau.
For the more athletic, there is a loop from Le Bourg-d'Oisans “The wild climb”. Another way to climb to Alpe d'Huez via the col de Sarenne passing through the wilder Ferrand valley. Its name is borrowed from Latin ferus, which means “wild.”
The hike to the col de Sarenne
Not a bike rider? Don't worry, there are other ways to explore the wide open spaces surrounding the col de Sarenne. Among them, the hiking is a popular activity throughout Oisans, in order to be as close as possible to nature. For example, you can walk du col de Sarenne at the Cassini Cross. It is a 4,2 km long circuit, of medium level. Upon arrival, you will enjoy a 360° panorama of the surrounding massifs.
Cassini's Cross is also a historic site. Indeed, Cassini III, from a line of surveyors and topographers, chose this particularly cleared spot for his extremely precise mapping of the area in 1739. It was around 1975 that a cross was sealed at this location, the end point of your hike. Every year, at the end of August, the association "La montée de Cassini" offers a friendship drink and a friendly meal at the col de Sarenne. Note that the route of the col de Sarenne at the Cassini Cross contains some aerial passages, avoid it if you suffer from vertigo!
For an easier walk, you can take the path from Alpe d'Huez to col de Sarenne : it mainly follows the paved road that leads to the pass and is accessible even for strollers. It is a 4-hour hike, with only 140 m of elevation gain. On the route, you can visit the Brandes mines, the Herpie coal mines, or the remarkable Our Lady of the Snows Church in L'Alpe d'Huez.
Le col de Sarenne in winter
Le col de Sarenne also gave its name to a famous black run in the Alpe d'Huez resort. If this descent is legendary, it is because it holds the record for the longest alpine ski slope in Europe, with no less than 16 km and 1800 m of vertical drop. The slope crosses natural landscapes in which high mountains and wooded valleys follow one another, connecting the Pic Blanc to the Sarenne Gorges. You can also use it to reach many off-piste trails.
For a unique experience, come for the "first tracks" on Wednesdays in February at 8:15 a.m. You will be the first to take the cable car to the Pic Blanc, at an altitude of 3300 m. Then, you'll have the pleasure of making your first tracks on the freshly groomed Sarenne slope. Finally, the Combe Haute inn at the bottom of the slope will welcome you with a hot drink and a pastry. Everything you need to start a day of skiing off right!