One of the locations offering access to the Route des Crêtes is the Col du Calvaire. The climb from the east to this col offers a good alternative to the busy road to the Col du Bonhomme (N415). The first 5 kilometers from the junction of the N415 and the D48 to the end of Orbey, though, suffer from dense traffic as well. Elevation is gained on a slope of typically 4%. Orbey is not really beautiful. The centre of this little town is avoided taking a by-pass. Soon after Orbey, the steepest part of the climb follows, more or less where the hamlet of Pairis is passed. The remainder of the tour takes mostly place in the forests. A kilometer before the col, Lac Blanc is situated on the left hand side but from the road the nearby lake is only vaguely visible through the trees.