The viewing table, some 100m/328ft to the southwest of the former Napoleon refuge, reveals a striking contrast: on one side are the arid ridges of the Dévoluy, while on the other the lush Drac valley (lower Champsaur) features a patchwork of crops framed by the Vieux Chaillol range and the Gapençais mountains. In the distance are the summits and glaciers of the Écrins range. The pass is closed from early November to mid-May.