Last year's avalanche meant the Col du Lautaret was closed
I had this email from Trevor:
“Thanks for the updates. I am currently trying to arrange transport from Grenoble Airport on Saturday 1st January and return Saturday 8th January to Serre Chevalier. Its for 4 people and private transfers are working out way too expensive. If I hire a car its way cheaper. The only concern is the Lautaret Pass and would I be ok driving from the airport. I’m a very good driver but would it be too tricky in snow conditions? If you could give me some advice that would be great.”
My answer,
“Hi thanks Trevor for your email, I thought I’d answer this here for everyone’s benefit. With the demise of the Luton-Turin EasyJet flights, I’m predicting more deaths this year with people flying to Grenoble and attempting to get to Serre Chevalier over the Col du Lautaret (atitude 2058m) ill-equipped. The truth is that the road is a major road which they try the hardest to keep clear at all times. If it hasn’t snowed for a few days and it is clear and there have been no disasters, it is an easy and very beautiful drive. If it has snowed recently and it’s not been cleared properly driving can be very difficult and dangerous. If it is actually snowing it can be one of the most dangerous and scary things you ever do.
It’s not unusual for it to dump more than 2m of snow overnight up there! There is also a risk of avalanches, but they are more inconvenient than dangerous (except in my second photo here) as they tend to shut the Col du Lautaret for a day or so while they divert the traffic through the avalanche tunnels. This means having to go via Gap which can easily add an extra 5 hours to your journey. So here is my advice:
4 People survived in this car caught in an avalanche
- don’t attempt it in a rear wheel drive car, I was stuck in La Grave for 20 hours many years ago when I tried to make the journey in a Ford Sierra
- have snow chains with you (obligatory in bad weather) – but practice putting them on before you get into the mountains – what might seem easy in daylight, is very difficult in a sub zero blizzard in the dark. The alternative is snow tyres, but I’ve never heard of a hire company supplying them. It is also worth having a torch, gloves and shovel if possible.
- call the traffic Line for Col du Lauteret (and Col du Montgenevre) +33 (0)4 92 24 44 44 , before you leave Grenoble, it’s a pre-recorded message and easy to understand. The website is www.inforoute05.fr, but don’t rely on that for being up-to-date
- If there is any suggestion that there is going to be a problem with fermature/avalanche etc. consider going via Gap. ‘Conditions Difficile’ really does mean that, it’s not a namby pamby warning – more a warning that you are risking death if you make the slightest mistake.
That all sounds grim doesn’t it? In actual fact the above applies for probably less than a dozen days each season, most of the time it is a straightforward drive, but do respect these mountains, they are killers.”
Several years ago we were travelling from Serre Chevalier to Alpe d’Huez, by Le Casset it was already about 15cm of snow and there was only 1 set of tracks in front of us. Just before the avalanche tunnel near the top of the Col, the tracks wobbled from side to side and then seemed to form a perfect arc which disappeared over the side of the road. Now we were the ones making fresh tracks. In the van it went quiet and I said ‘That’s not good’. It wasn’t, within minutes the firemen, ambulance and police were all there. By morning they had winched the wreckage of a car and the dead, frozen bodies of two young women from the bottom of the valley. Chilling stuff.
Tags: snow chains, grenoble airport, ford sierra, Serre Chevalier, avalancheNo related posts.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
What Rick says is 100, maybe 110% accurate. If you can fly to Turin do so, the road is much nicer – despite living here full-time for two seasons and visiting for five before that – I have never done the Grenoble road, even in good weather. Mind you I am a bit of a poof.
However for a stress free delivey in the hands of people used to doing the run I would also strongly suggest Alpine Transfer Service (http://www.serrechevliertransfers.com/). It’s Eur45 per person each way from either of the Serre Chevalier airports (Grenoble/ Turin).
January is a snowy month, so it’s worth thinking about.
You can go by bus also.
Airport bus to Grenoble Gare Routier then bus out to Serre Chevalier.
Hope this helps,
Howard
There was a car went off the road yesterday morning as it tried to do the Lauterat on its way to Serre Chevalier.
Not certain if it was fatal but there were a lot of sirens screaming up there.
It had been snowing for a good 24 hours.
It is worth taking it very slow and steady, the penalty for failure, as they say, is steep.
OMG!
I’m driving to Serre Chevalier 01-02 jan for a week coming from calais, driven through france a few times but not through the alps. Were fairly new to skiing, came last year and loved it we are returning for lessons with Darren Turner as much as anything else
We will be in a 4×4 but any advice on routes if there is an easier one would be greatly appreciated.
Great website and by the way we found our accommodation with Snowmonkees here.
Tim
@Tim: Thanks for the comment Tim, you will have to come over the Col du Lautaret to get here, as I say it’s not normally a problem. Keep an eye on this site as we will usually give you a pretty good idea of what the weather is like.
FYI – The illuminated sign at the St Chaffrey roundabout was saying “Col du Lauraret, Snow on the road, Special equipment obligatory.
This is quite a surprise as it hasn’t snowed here for a few days. I suppose that the difference is that at 2000m altitude it is not getting above 0c even during the day.