The Col du Glandon is unquestionably one of the Maurienne’s hard climbs. The average gradient may be “only” 7.2% but this includes 3 km of flat around Saint-Colomban-des-Villards and 3 km at more than 10% just before the pass. The road, which has been part of the Tour de France on 13 occasions, climbs up between the Belledonne Range, to the west, and the summits of the Les Sybelles ski area (310 km of runs), to the east. Once at the pass, the view opens up over the Eau d’Olle, which flows down to the Grand'Maison reservoir and the Oisans Valley. Three kilometres to the east lies the Col de la Croix de Fer and the eternal snows of the Pic de l'Etendard (3464 m).

Although the road to the Col du Glandon opened in 1898, it wasn’t connected to the Col de la Croix-de-Fer until 1912, thereby providing a direct route to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.
The road is generally only open from June to October.
In July and August 1944, when the allies were preparing to land in Provence, Mobile Group n°5 of the Oisans Maquis temporarily repulsed a German attack near the pass. A memorial at the summit commemorates the event.