Climb Summary
The Col - May 28, 2018
The primary approaches to Col du Chat are from Meyrieux-Trouet from the west and Le Bourget-du-Lac from the east. The col has been included only twice in the Tour de France as of 2017, once in 1974 and again in 2017.
We rode this climb in May, 2018 and were very impressed with it. The roadway on both sides of the col is in excellent condition and there is very little traffic on either side (we encountered only a handful of autos on our ride up from Meyrieux in on a Monday morning and only 1 and 2 cyclists on the ride up from Bourget).
We are surrounded by trees most of the climb on both sides, with the views along the narrow roadway opening in just the last kilometer which permits nice views of the lake below.
There are road markers along the route
Beware - no provisions on this climb. There is a restaurant at the top which was shuttered 28 May 2018 when we arrived the first time around 1 p.m. and again around 4 p.m. on our return from Bourget. However, our research indicates that Restaurant des Aigles, address Relais du Chat, 73170 Saint-Paul, France, tel. # +33 4 79 85 54 66 has a 4.5 rating on Trip Advisor, Facebook address - https://www.facebook.com/Restaurant.lesaigles.73170/ ) is generally open and highly regarded.
From Meyrieux-Trouet (pop. 306, 2014)
Steepest kilometer begins at km 6.2 (12.2%)
From Le Bourget-du-Lac (pop. 4,486, 2014)
Steepest kilometer begins at km 3.4 (11.1%)