The Comane Valley marks the transition between the Vercors mountain atmosphere and the Provençal setting of the Drôme Valley. In its isolated setting, the Col de Rousset road climbs with wide, sinuous bends. At the top, the Aiguilles de Chironne watch over a vast succession of cliffs that extend to the But Sapiau. Below, the village of Chamaloc seems to watch over the large lavender fields around it.
Once you leave Die, the road starts to climb along the small procession of the Comane gorges.
Keep your eyes open to spot a vulture in flight, and stop at the dedicated observation site, a few minutes after Chamaloc village.
From there, the climb continues up to the Col along 8 hairpin bends. The arrival at the Col du Rousset offers a magnificent panoramic view across the Diois and the Baronnies, and the Glandasse "prow" that covers the view to the East.
The true history of this road was the drilling of the tunnel between 1861 and 1866 allowing trade between Die and the Vercors. This trade turned naturally towards the north with the Grands Goulet road that opened in 1854.
Here you can see the illustration of the links between the Vercors routes, as the risk of trade turning definitely towards Royans and Grenoble was what motivated the Col de Rousset road project.
