Top 11 Mountain Passes around Monsols

The Beaujolais region offers several passes with beautiful views. For incredible panoramic views over the Saône valley, where you can often see the Alps and Mont Blanc on clear days, visit Col de la Sibérie, 638 m. Another notable pass is Col du Fût d'Avenas, which also offers views extending to the Jura mountains and Mont Blanc.

Yes, the Col de Crie, 622 m is particularly family-friendly. It features a children's play area, a zip line, and a pedagogical trail. The Col de Crie Hiking and Trail Center (Col de Crie Hiking and Trail Center) also hosts themed afternoons with games and nature discoveries in the summer.

The mountain passes around Monsols are excellent for various outdoor activities. You can find numerous hiking trails, trail running routes, and cycling paths. The Col de Crie, for instance, is a hub for hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and cycling tourism. For more detailed routes, you can explore hiking around Monsols, running trails around Monsols, and road cycling routes around Monsols.

Cyclists frequently visit passes like Col du Fût d'Avenas and Col de la Croix Montmain. Col du Fût d'Avenas is a well-known site for road cycling and mountain biking, offering a beautiful constant ascent. Col de la Croix Montmain provides varied landscapes, from open countryside to wooded areas, with challenging climbs from different starting points.

The Col de Crie Hiking and Trail Center is an excellent resource. It provides maps and itinerary sheets for various activities, including hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and cycling tourism. You can also find hiking advice and equipment there.

Near the mountain passes, you can discover interesting local heritage. For example, the area around Col de la Croix Montmain, particularly near Vaux-en-Beaujolais, is known for its humorous frescoes. Additionally, you might encounter wayside crosses, such as Croix d'Ajoux, which are significant religious and historical landmarks in the region.

The region's mountain passes are generally enjoyable from spring through autumn. Summer offers pleasant conditions for family activities and themed events at places like Col de Crie. For cycling, the warmer months provide good road conditions. Hiking is also popular during these seasons, with varied landscapes from open fields to wooded areas.

For a quieter experience, consider the routes leading to Col de Casse Froide. The ascent from Varenne, for instance, takes a very small, little-frequented road with beautiful views of the vines, offering a sense of solitude.

Yes, the Col de Crie Hiking and Trail Center offers picnic areas, some of which are covered, and a free picnic room. There is also a café and shop available. Near Col du Fût d'Avenas, you can find a restaurant called "les terrasses de Chiroubles" partway up the climb from Villié-Morgon.

The views vary significantly. From Col de la Sibérie, 638 m and Col du Fût d'Avenas, you can often see the Saône valley, the Jura mountains, and even Mont Blanc on clear days. Other passes like Col de Crie offer panoramic views of the surrounding Douglas fir forests and rolling hills. While the view from the very top of Col de la Croix Montmain might not be expansive, the journey through varied landscapes and pleasant forest atmosphere is rewarding.

The difficulty levels vary. For instance, Col du Fût d'Avenas is considered a category 3 climb for cyclists, with an average grade of 4.9%. Col de la Croix Montmain is categorized as a 2-category climb, with an average grade of 6.1% from Le Perréon. Col de Crie, 622 m is generally considered a good, not particularly difficult pass to traverse.