Col de Joux Plane (North side)

Col de Joux Plane (North side)

The Col de Joux Plane acts as a dramatic geographic boundary between the Giffre and Dranse valleys, rising to a height of 1,691 meters in the limestone-rich Chablais Alps. Formed by ancient glacial movements, the pass sits atop a high-altitude plateau where the Lac de Joux Plane provides a rare, tranquil alpine mirror for the surrounding peaks. Historically, this rugged terrain was the domain of shepherds moving livestock to high summer pastures (alpage), long before the mountain road was paved in the mid-20th century to connect the market town of Samoëns to the alpine hub of Morzine.

In the lore of the Tour de France, the Joux Plane is notorious as a "king-maker" where the steep gradients and the treacherous, high-speed descent into Morzine have decided several yellow jerseys. It has been featured over a dozen times since its 1978 debut, most notably serving as the site of a rare 2000 collapse for Lance Armstrong and the high-speed 2023 showdown between Pogacar and Vingegaard. Because the pass is often buried in heavy snow and closed to vehicles from November to April, it reverts to its wilder geographic roots in the winter, serving as a pristine Nordic skiing plateau that remains a pilgrimage site for those seeking the ultimate "balcony" view of Mont Blanc.