The Col du Petit Saint-Bernard sits at 2188 m on the France-Italy border, linking the Tarentaise valley in Savoie with the Aosta valley via Pré-Saint-Didier. The canonical climb runs up the French side on the D1090 from Séez, just above Bourg-Saint-Maurice, passing the ski resort of La Rosière at around the 22 km mark. It is long but rarely steep: roughly 27.5 km gaining about 1289 m at a 4.69% average, with the gradient seldom exceeding 8% and the steeper pitches saved for the final kilometres above La Rosière. The road is open seasonally, typically May to October, and the summit holds a Roman column with a statue of Saint Bernard and the old hospice.
Col du Petit Saint-Bernard
2188 m · Italy
Also: Bernard · Col du Petit · Colle del Piccolo San Bernardo · Kleiner Sankt Bernhard · Saint
Usually open late May–October; closed in winterRoad D1090 (RD 1090) from Séez via La Rosière to the col
Open on the map →The 2 sides
| From | Length | Gain | Avg | Max | Cat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Séez | 23.9 km | +1292 m | 5.4% | ≈11.5% | HC |
| La Thuile | 22.6 km | +1167 m | 5.2% | ≈8.6% | HC |
From Séez
Hors catégorie≈20 hairpin bendsfaces SW
From La Thuile
Hors catégorie≈36 hairpin bendsfaces NE
0–4%4–7%7–10%10–12%12%+
The climb
Race history
4× Tour de France · 1× Giro d'Italia · 1949–2009