The Col de l'Iseran climbs south from Val-d'Isère toward Bonneval-sur-Arc, topping out at 2,764 metres. When the road is open, usually from early summer into autumn, it is one of the classic high Alpine drives and a serious cycling objective. The scenery is bare and grand: snowfields linger on the shoulders, the air thins, and the valley drops away fast behind you.
For cyclists, the climb from Val-d'Isère is short compared with the longer approaches from lower valleys, but the altitude makes it harder than the distance suggests. Drivers should treat it as a mountain road, not a shortcut; weather can close in quickly, and the pass is not open in winter.