Author: Will

Readers of this site know I love roads to high Alpine dams/lakes. And the Valais region of Switzerland is full of hors categorie climbs to some of the biggest dams in the world. This ride would go to a smaller dam/lake in the region but with 1700 metres of ascent it’s a long way to the top. Note: the last 3.5 kms of this climb are unpaved – but a decent gravel surface. Additionally, I looped around the lake on a rough road on one side, and trails on the other – so thicker tires required. I actually started half…

The Alpine borders between Italy and France are lined with forts and high altitude military roads – most dating from the end of the 19th century or World War 1. Forte Jafferau (2805 metres) is the highest Fort in Italy and the second highest in Europe. It was built between 1896 and 1898. It was bombarded and largely destroyed as part of the peace treaty ending World War 2. The highest Fort in the Alps is atop Mont Chaberton (3131 metres) – cycling details here. This is my second time cycling up Monte Jafferau, but this time I started in…

Cycle Route 3692902 – via Bikemap.net This great gravel ride passes seven Cols (all well above 2000 metres) and three lovely little Alpine lakes. It’s primarily in Italy but it sneaks into France once and rides past a lot of border posts. This requires a mountain bike. The vast majority of the ride is on mediocre quality but beautiful/quiet gravel roads – although I occasionally took some trails to link cols. I started in Cesana-Torinese a village below/between Sestrière and Montgenèvre and headed up for several kilometres through the woods, alongside ski pistes. One of the fun parts of the…

I know, I often go on about how great almost every climb is. Well here you go. I didn’t love this ride. My first cycling climbs “bible” was the Atlas des Col des Alpes Volume 5. This simple black and white book listed a bunch of climbs near where I live providing a climb profile and meagre route instructions. I’d climbed every road in the book some years ago, except one: Pré Richard. The basic issue being it’s a pain to get to the start: Evian-les-Bains. But finally, I decided to check this box. The Spa town of Evian sits…

Stage 19 of the 2016 Tour de France is a tough north French Alps mountain stage. But it visits some lesser known climbs that people might not be familiar with. So I thought I’d post a route preview. Let’s get right to it: Starting in Albertville the route immediately climbs, heading up to Collet de Tamié at 960 metres. Note, this is the NOT Col de Tamié (907 metres). It is just above, on a smaller road, beside the Fort de Tamié, an old Savoyard stone fort built in the 1870s that overlooks Albertville and the valley below. Just after…

La Plagne is a large high altitude ski resort in the French Alps. Part of the Paradiski Domaine with Les Arcs. Courchevel is just south. It’s a big modern ski station road (wide, steady grade) with 21 signed hairpins à la Alpe d’Huez. La Plagne has hosted the Tour de France four times as an HC mountain top finish (’84, ’87, ’95, ’02). The most recent being won by Armstrong and subsequently vacated. My plan was to ride the main road, but I was surprised to be passed by 30 vehicles including a few trucks in the first kilometre. So…

In 1980 Bernard Hinault won the World Championships held in Sallanches. The circuit course climbed (several times) a steep 2.5 kilometre little road above/through the village of Domancy. The stuff of legends. Fast forward to June 2106: last month the Côte de Domancy road was officially named Route Bernard Hinault. Stage 18 of the 2016 Tour de France is a seventeen kilometre Time Trial course that includes the Route Bernard Hinault (aka: Côte de Domancy) as it climbs to Megève Ski Station. Here is a brief video preview of the course: Cycle Route 3661351 – via Bikemap.net Official Profile Biking…

I cycled the north side of Col de la Madeleine the other day with my friend Philippe. I thought I’d post here details on all four ways to climb this majestic, monster col. Each option includes more than 1500 metres of ascent! Three of the routes are paved, the fourth visits the amazing Lacets de Montvernier & Col du Chaussy, before taking a fabulous unpaved road. Madeleine is one of only two roads that crosses the Vanoise Alps (the other is Col de l’Iseran far to the east). Until the 18th century it was known as Col de la Colombe,…

This is as good a high Alps gravel road route as I know. Spectacular. But warning, this is challenging. Starting at 500 metres altitude, the route goes to almost 2800 metres with a descent in the middle. And much of this is on slippery, poor quality, gravel roads. Hard work. But rewarding. I’ll split this post into three parts for clarity: Colle delle Finestre Strada dell’Assietta La Strada Militare Gran Serin/Colle delle Finestre Colle delle Finestre This is one of the legendary cycling climbs in Italy appearing in the 2005, 2011, and 2015 Giro d’Italia. It’s a beast of a…

Two rides in one: A quick up/down to La Croix de Toulouse, then a truly fantastic adventure on old military roads, high above Briançon/Montgenèvre, visiting high altitude forts/barracks/etc. Cycle Route 3634857 – via Bikemap.net La Croix de Toulouse – 1962 metres Starting from Col de Montgenèvre, I descended down towards Briançon and over to the start of La Croix de Toulouse. It was closed to traffic on one of the Hautes-Alpes departments’ Cols Réservés days. See here for a full list. This little climb is fantastic. 6.3 kms averaging 10%, with 29 hairpins (my count), on a tiny little road.…