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Barrage de la Grande Dixence Bike Climb - PJAMM Cycling

Barrage de la Grande Dixence

Switzerland

Ride to the tallest gravity dam in the world.

Page Contributor(s): Ard Oostra, Montreux, Switzerland

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Climb Summary

Cycling Barrage de la Grande Dixence, Switzerland - road sign reads Dixence (Cne d'Heremence), swiss alps in background

Cycling Switzerland’s #10 hardest bike climb.

Ride 24.6 kilometers gaining 1,600 meters at 6.5% average grade.

The name of this climb comes from the Grande Dixence dam and hydroelectric complex at the finish of the climb.  The lake created by the dam is called Lac des Dix (Lake Dix) and is the largest lake above 2,000 meters in the entire alps.  

Cycling Barrage de la Grande Dixence, Switzerland - view looking down mountainside, evergreen trees, river running through valley between mountains, Swiss Alps, PJAMM Cycling logo in corner

Cycling Barrage de la Grande Dixence, Switzerland - The Grande Dixence Dam, tallest gravity dam in the world, cars parked in front of dam look very small, showcasing how tall dam is, PJAMM Cycling logo in corner

The Grande Dixence Dam is the tallest gravity dam in the world.[1]

The dam is an astounding 285 meters in height.

Cycling Barrage de la Grande Dixence, Switzerland - PJAMM Cyclist Ard Oostra stands with his bike on roadside, swiss alps in background

Thank you Ard!!

[1] A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation to oppose the horizontal pressure of water pushing against it. Gravity dams are designed so that each section of the dam is stable and independent of any other dam section (Gravity Dam).