Col du Calvaire
Mountain pass in France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Col du Calvaire (French pronunciation: [kɔl dy kalvɛʁ]) is a mountain pass in the Vosges Mountains connecting Le Valtin in the Vosges to Orbey in the Haut-Rhin.
| Col du Calvaire | |
|---|---|
| |
| Elevation | 1,144 m (3,753 ft) |
| Location | Haut-Rhin, France |
| Range | Vosges Mountains |
| Coordinates | 48°08′11″N 7°05′19″E |
  Col du Calvaire Location of Col du Calvaire | |
Etymology
Geography
Location
Situated at an elevation of 1,144 metres (3,753 ft), the pass connects the Béhine valley, starting from Le Bonhomme, and the high Alsace valley of the Weiss to Orbey. It lies on the Route des Crêtes between the Col du Bonhomme and the Col de la Schlucht.[2]
Access
From Le Valtin, the pass begins with the ascent of the Col du Louschbach leading to the Route des Crêtes (D 148) up to the Col du Calvaire. Generally, from the west side, the pass is accessed directly via the Route des Crêtes rather than the ascent from the Valtin forest road. From Orbey, the pass is accessed by following the departmental road D 48 then D 48.2 which runs along the Lac Blanc just before the pass.[3]
History
During the World War I, the German front line extended from the Calvary, followed the southern slope to reach the tête des Faux and Orbey.[4]
Activities
Cycling
Tour de France
The pass has been used three times in the Tour de France, most recently in 2001.[5]
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 7 | 2 | Nancy | Mulhouse |  Laurent Jalabert (FRA) |
| 1992 | 11 | 3 | Strasbourg | Mulhouse |  Rolf Gölz (GER) |
| 1976 | 7 | 3 | Strasbourg | Colmar |  Luciano Conati (ITA) |
Winter Sports
In winter, the pass is inaccessible from the Col de la Schlucht to make way for the ski slopes maintained by the Lac Blanc ski station.[6]
