Col de l’Arpettaz
By Will • Aug 10th, 2008 • Category: Climbs, Cycling
The in-laws are in town! (Doreen’s sister, her husband, and their two sons). So as usual when we have visitors, we took them to beautiful Annecy and while they wandered the old town I went cycling.
On a perfect day, I took the Annecy bike path all the way to Ugine (30 kilometres). Just before Ugine was a turn off to Col de l’Arpettaz.
The Climb: 16.5 kms (10.2 miles); Ascent: 1,200 metres (3,940 feet)
If you like hairpins, this is the climb for you. A fantastic climb on a small very quiet road, winding up through alpine farms and a deciduous forest.
I had tried this climb in May 2006, but bumped into deep snow and couldn’t make it to the top. Unfinished business!
I used a road bike, but the road surface is poor. It’s a bit better down the other side. Perhaps better with a hybrid bike.
Such a pleasant climb alternating between the woods and alpine farmland. And as usual, ever improving views. At the top, Mont Blanc is barely visible, but I descended a couple of ks down the other side for a full view.
At the very top is a gravel road that goes all the way to Col des Aravis - a mountain bike project. Note, the Col sign has a spelling mistake (photo at top).
A bumpy descent and then a nice return to Annecy on the bike path. A 95 km loop.
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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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Glad to see you got to do it. This was unfinished business indeed. And that is a healthy distance. Where do I sign up for the mountain bike ride from Arpettaz to Aravis? I want to join!
Eric, you can see much of the little road to Aravis here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/willj/2750053732/
Yes a project! (were you up Aravis today?)
That dirt road for MTB looks great!
I did not make it to Beaufort, even not Aravis. Decided to make 180 before St Jean de Sixt as left shin got painful. I preferred to play it safe and not force. So now I have unfinished business myself. It was still a nice ride though.
What an escape! Absolutely gorgeous… much better than walking around town and shopping.
This looks like an excellent road, almost private. I bet that it would have gone better if you would switch to 25mm tires which I use when I have lumpy rides, including cobbles. 1200 vertical m in 16 kms is not too shabby at all.
My problem with Annecy is being dstracted by the, uh, beaches around the lake…
What a great website! Makes me wanna come over to Europe now. I’ve been reading Sprocketboy’s report on the Tour D’Enfer and am dreaming about cycling in the Alps … Love climbing, too. Your photographs of the views from the top are sensational.
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