Col de Balme and Col des Posettes
By Will • Sep 21st, 2008 • Category: Climbs, CyclingStaying in Chamonix for the weekend, Doreen planned to go running Sunday morning - in preparation for the Geneva half marathon - so I decided to go mountain biking.
The Chamonix tourist office gave me a map with several signed mountain bike routes on it. I chose the “difficult” red route to Le Tour with a plan to then climb towards Col de Balme as high as possible.
It’s a very challenging but fun trail through the woods to Le Tour - up and down. Somehow, I missed a sign and ended taking the main road for the last little part.
From here the fun started. There is a gravel service road behind the ski lift. Steep. In fact I spent a fair bit of time pushing for the first few kilometres.
Higher up, it is a little less steep and I headed towards Col des Posettes (1997 metres). A little hazy but great views in all directions. From Posettes, is a rideable path up to Col de Balme (2204 metres) that straddles the Swiss / French border.
Expert mountain bikers would have enjoyed the descent …. but I spent a fair bit of time walking the bike - steep and rocky.
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Will is Happiest while cycling uphill. More enthusiastic than talented, his 2008 Challenge is to (again) cycle 160,000 metres of vertical ascent.
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