Author: Will

Starting from Les Contamine-Montjoie ski station, this is a great unpaved climb dominated by nearby Mont Blanc. No cars, just views. The paved road ends soon after leaving town. The entire route (except the last couple of hundred metres) is gravel road with a mediocre surface. The sort of gravel road where you are continually looking for a better line, but can usually find one. It’s not the longest loop, less than 30 kms, but it’s sometimes extremely steep, especially above Col du Joly. I occasionally walked but a strong cyclist should be able to pedal everything. The far side…

I like to warn people when hyperbole is coming. Warning. Yes, this is one of the most beautiful loops that you could hope to ride. It includes the paved road to Grosse Scheidegg – one of the greatest climbs in Switzerland. Yet, this is not even the highlight of this fabulous ride that goes much higher with constant views of the high Alps of central Switzerland. Oh, and there are lots of cows! This 3D video of the route is fun: Note, I used a hybrid which was perfect for the good quality gravel for most of the route after…

This is a dream ride through one of the most beautiful locations in the Alps. Kleine Scheidegg is a mountain pass (2061 metres) squeezed between the legendary Eiger north face (3970m) and the Lauberhorn in the Berner Oberland region of central Switzerland. By bike it is part of the Swiss National Mountain Bike “Alpine Route.” I would start just below Grindelwald. The route is well signed, and it’s important to follow these signs as there are lots of little super-steep roads/trails that detour off to chalets/farms along the way. The ride runs under the length of the Eiger north face…

In summer Col du Galibier via Col du Télégraphe can have some traffic – especially gangs of noisy motorcycles. Nothing too terrible, but all the same. This ride starts at the exact same intersection as the start of Télégraphe but heads in the opposite direction. And after 1 kilometre, I never saw a car. The first couple of kilometres pass a few chalets, houses, farms, but the road quickly becomes quiet. Plenty of hairpins and great views across the valley at Fort du Télégraphe – old pic same view. At 1210 metres I reached Col de Beaune and then the…

This is very steep, mainly unpaved, loop starting from Sallanches that leads to Col de Niard. A place FAR better known by hikers than cyclists. It feels like heading into a secret Alpine high valley. Beautiful. It’s paved until roughly 1000 metres as it weaves up a quiet little road with nice chalets and the occasional farm. As the paved road ends the route heads higher through a forest. Be warned. It gets extremely steep, and on a slippery gravel surface I spent much of the ride pushing. There is one short stretch that must be 30%. But again, so…

This is a great but challenging “exploration” loop on the north edge of the French Alps in the same massif as Plateau des Glières. To reach the high point – Col de Sur Cou (1605 metres) – it’s first a tiny paved road, then steep gravel, and finally trails. This ride is a classic example of me staring at detailed maps in search of nearby cols that I have never cycled and hoping the little roads/trails are fun by bike. 🙂 Cycle Route 3739627 – via Bikemap.net I started in St. Pierre-en-Faucigny entering the very north edge of the French…

I don’t want to “bury the lead,” so I’ll start with the profile for this gigantic climb – one of the toughest in Switzerland. But don’t let the difficulty discourage you as this quiet route is at least as beautiful as it is steep. There are more than 50 hairpins on this ride, including 29 numbered hairpins on the first 6 kilometres or so to the village of Morcles. This stretch is a well surfaced narrow paved road generally in the shade. It’s superb, with plenty of views of the valley below. The hairpins start at #29 and I found…

Tucked into the mountains of Savoie, not too far from Mont Blanc, is the beautiful village of Beaufort. Famous for its eponymous cheese, Beaufort also is a mecca for cyclists that like going uphill on beautiful roads. And readers of this site know I love Alpine dams/lakes, and there are four here worth visiting. The region around Beaufort is known as the Beaufortain. Below, first I’ll provide details for the best road bike climbs, then discuss some truly exceptional mountain bike options. This will be a long post. I’ll try and keep the ride summaries brief but each includes a…

Readers of this blog will know that I am a huge fan of high altitude, unpaved alpine climbs. Quiet, challenging, beautiful. Perhaps the best concentration in the Alps can be found in northern Piemonte near Bardonecchia/Susa. Colle delle Sommeiller, Monte Chaberton, Monte Jafferau, etc. And the fabulous network of old military roads around and including Strada dell’Assietta / Colle delle Finestre. If you’re only here for details of the 2018 Giro climb of Colle delle Finestre see here for a detailed view of the climb – the ride then goes much higher. Last week I managed my 4th ride involving…

This was a total surprise to me. A great surprise. I had planned to cycle the fabulous but tough Col du Sanetsch, but I just wasn’t feeling strong. I knew that a few (vineyard filled) kilometres into the route was the turn-off to Derborence. I changed plans and decided to explore. After the last village, Aven, there is a long steep stretch, then the road turns right. And becomes great! It quickly becomes an astonishing cliff road with lots and lots of “stylish” tunnels. Truly amazing. There are two tunnel stretches, one is very long. But there are frequent openings…