Epic! Coluna du Grande Colombier
Por Vontade ≺ novembro 5o, 2007 categoria do ≺: Escaladas, Dar um ciclo, Juras
Os cyclists locais de cada ano agitam suas cabeças nos organizers cowardly do de France da excursão que funcionam a direita da excursão por este gigante de Jura, mas na recusa para escalá-la. É justo embebe demasiado!
Não confunda Le Grande Colombier com a escalada mais famosa dos alpes do de France da excursão Coluna de la Colombiere - aproximadamente 50 quilômetros afastado (os meios de Colombe mergulharam em francês). Le Grande Colombier é menos bom - sabido, mas é definitivamente mais duro.
Há quatro - muito challenging - rotas grandes acima deste massif. Eu tenho escalado previamente Colombier de Culoz.
Era fresco e cinza hoje mas eu fui determinado escalar este do lado o mais duro que começa em Artemare. Quase do começo, é um título deserted típico, bonito da estrada de Jura acima através de uma floresta. É qualidade boa bastante para uma bicicleta da estrada mas eu trouxe meu híbrido para a engrenagem mais fácil.
Os Cyclists podem ser como os pescadores, exaggerating a dificuldade de uma escalada. Mas Le Grande Colombier é algo especial. Um quilômetro médias 15% e um outro quilômetro cheio médias 13%. Para o perspective o único quilômetro médio o mais íngreme em Alpe d' Huez é 11% e em Galibier 9%.
Eu não tive nenhuma velocidade ou objetivos do tempo, eu quis apenas terminar. Porque eu aproximei os estiramentos os mais íngremes (um bocado é 22%) que eu poderia ter tão rápido andado como eu estava montando, mas eu fui determinado pedal a rota do todo. Meu deus!! Mas demasiado divertimento.
Aproximando o alto, eu mereci alguma sorte para o esforço, e de repente eu estourei através das nuvens na luz do sol brilhante (APROVADA, estouro faz-lhe o som como eu estava indo mais rapidamente do que mim era). Mont Blanc era direito lá em minha cara acima das nuvens. Bonito. Eu fui embebido absolutamente com o suor do esforço assim que a descida era shockingly frio - eu fiz exame da maneira mais fácil (mas ainda muito difícil) super-scenic para trás a Artemare, como cyclists superiores uniformes não descerei geralmente a rota que eu escalei - ele é demasiado perigosa justo.
Cyclo tourists will continue to flock to places like Alpe d’Huez, Galibier, and Ventoux - and for good reason. But this area — with Mont du Chat just down the road (Le Cycle magazine’s July issue called it the toughest climb in France) and Col de la Biche on the other side — is filled with challenging, stunning rides on virtually deserted roads.
Le Grand Colombiere is part of the Jura mountains (as in Jurassic) not the Alps. Following the Rhone as it leaves Lake Geneva, a good rule of thumb is any mountain on the North/West side of the river is a Jura, and anything on the South/East side is an Alp.
From June 2006: Probably the most famous climb in the Juras. There are four very steep ways up this monster. To become a Confrérie des Fêlés du Grand Colombier (translated: Brotherhood of Loons (freaks, crackpots) of Grand Colombier) one needs to climb all four in one day. YIKES …. I am a decade past being able to do that as each climb is a challenge in its own right. One route has parts with a grade of 22%! Trust me 11% is very hard, 22% near impossible. Cyclists are sternly told not to descend by this route. It’s just too steep. Although just climbing 2 sides grants member status.
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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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Enjoy browsing your photos, and i’m damn jealous !! I’m stuck here in Stoke on Trent !! —- but close to the Peak District and other U.K. delights !
Great website you’ve got , appreciate all your work . I too enjoy col climbing and have been at it since i was a teenager in the lat 1950’s !! I’m in the u.k col climbing club otherwise known as the OCD- Order Col Durs ( the order of the hard cols … or should it be -Obsessive Compulsion Disorder !! I think the latter certainly fits !!
A few years ago i reached one million metres climbed , counting all the cols climbed over 300 metres, but it had taken me 40 odd years to do it !! Highlights have been — Ventoux, Alp d’Huez, Restefond ( in next year’s Td F) , Galibier, Tourmalet etc…
Nice to see the skiing pics of La Plagne,Wengen and Les Arcs , weve had some great ski hols there .. and we are off to Belle Plagne again next Jan.
Good luck with your alps challenge and …allez, allez!!!!
Cheers, Dave (COLBAGGER)
Hi Dave - Thanks for your note. I am quite familiar with your exceptional photos at FLICKR (I have great landscapes but no photgraphy skill).
A million metres wow! - don’t go giving me ideas
FYI - probably the craziest thing I have ever done on a bike was trying to combine my love of skiing and cycling. This past January I mountain-biked up to Les Arcs 1950 while my wife drove - there was ice at the BOTTOM of this 25 km climb. Luckily I didn’t have to descend it.
Yes I can’t wait for Bonnette/Restefond to be in the Tour. I have only cycled the North side (the tour is coming from South I think). Haven’t done the Pyrennées yet. A dream though.
Enjoy Belle La Plagne (cycled it this August - and struggled). We will be skiing at Les Arcs which is of course linked with La Plagne.
Chilly,
You are a cycling god. I’m truly impressed.
Love,
Your wife
[...] another blog post climbing the hardest route uo starting in [...]
Hello Will,
Congratulations for this climb, so beautiful and hard !
I love “Grand Colombier”, and it’s unfortunate that the Tour de France ignores it for an arrival at the summit. I think it is not because of the difficulty but it is mostly a story of money…
In August, I climbed the Col du Grand Colombier by Artemare too, for the first time (by this way). Before, in the same day I had climbed the Col de la Biche (very hard too) by Seyssel and after the Col de Richemont (easy by this way). Col de la Biche by Seyssel + Grand Colombier by Artemare, you should try. Incredible ! And “trop bien”
Bastien
Salut Bastien
Nice to hear from you.
Yes, I am sure you are correct that it is a question of money. C”est Dommage.
I climbed Col de la Biche and Col de Richemont in April. What a beautiful car-free (sans voitures) route.
But to also do Grand Colombier the same day? Well, i know you are much younger than me.
But that would be a fantastic end for a Tour de France stage.
Peut-etre l’année prochaine.
Cordialement
[...] Colombier is a monster with four great ways up. I actually joined the easiest of the four part way along the climb. For details on the truly steep and crazy hardest way click here. [...]