The Col de Manse is a mountain pass located in the Massif des Écrins approximately 9 km (6 mi) north-east of Gap in the Hautes-Alpes department of France. The pass connects Gap with the high Champsaur valley and the ski resort of Orcières-Merlette. The road over the col is used occasionally by the Tour de France cycle race with the tour crossing the pass twice in 2013.
Col de Manse from the south
Gap is the prefecture of the department of Hautes-Alpes, in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southeastern France. In 2019, the commune had a population of 40,631, making it the most populated city in Hautes-Alpes. At a height of 750 metres above sea level, to the south of the Écrins Massif, it is also France's highest prefecture.
Gap seen from Puymare Hill
Bilingual signage in Alpine Provençal and in French at Gap
Gap in 1607
Gap at the end of the 18th century