Col de Pierre Carrée (Flaine)
By Will • Mar 4th, 2011 • Category: Climbs, CyclingBy far the highest Col near me that is open 12 months a year – as it leads to Flaine ski station. 21 kms uphill in March! Not the steepest (or easiest) climb but 1350 metres of ascent means it’s probably an “easy” Hors Categorie. 
If doing this during ski season, make sure it hasn’t snowed recently or it risks to be treacherous on a road bike. And avoid Saturdays as lots of ski traffic. It’s a much quieter climb from May through November.
The goal was to break my record to the top (hurray!), and then take a few photos on the way down. I decided not to go the few kms down into Flaine as I was knackered, but it’s a nice little extension with some great hairpins (see the profile).
At the Col is a golf course which doubles as a small Cross Country Ski centre in winter. I visited recently, and the views are unbelieveable:
The descent was cold today, but it’s not too technical and can be a lot of fun. Here’s a video from 2010 that shows the descent:
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Will is Happiest while cycling uphill. More enthusiastic than talented, his 2013 Challenge is to cycle a 150 Cols (mountain passes), slowly -- and to just enjoy.
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