28.2
PDI
12.1 mi
DISTANCE
4,449 ft
GAINED
7 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. Pipay runs 19.4 km (12.1 mi) from Le Champ-pres-Froges, gaining 1,356 m (4,449 ft) at an average grade of 7.0%.
The steepest riding is concentrated early: the steepest quarter-mile averages 11.6%, and the steepest mile 8.5%. Longer windows settle into the climb's real character - the steepest 5 km averages 7.9% and the steepest 10 km holds at 7.3% - a long, evenly-paced grind rather than a climb defined by one hard pitch.
Roadway: Paved the entire way from Le Champ-pres-Froges to the Pipay parking area at the road's end. The route follows the D250 through Les Adrets to Col des Ayes, then the D281 for the final stretch to Pipay - a well-maintained, standard mountain-road surface throughout.
Traffic: Light to moderate through Les Adrets and up to Col des Ayes, where most of the area's traffic splits off toward the larger Prapoutel station; the final stretch to Pipay itself is noticeably quieter.
Parking: Park in Le Champ-pres-Froges at the base, or continue to the large parking area at the Pipay station itself at the top, which also serves as the trailhead for hikes onto the Sept Laux plateau.
Le Champ-pres-Froges and neighboring Froges have grocery stores and bakeries for a resupply before you start. Les Adrets, partway up, has more limited options, and Pipay itself has a small station restaurant in season - don't count on it being open, and carry what you need.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Pipay is the quieter of the two Sept Laux stations reachable from this same base road - Prapoutel, just over Col des Ayes, has the area's larger, more developed resort infrastructure, while Pipay's smaller station makes for a more intimate arrival and a good base for hiking the Sept Laux ("Seven Lakes") plateau, with trail access to the Balcon des Sept Laux and views across to the Chartreuse massif.
If your visit lines up with September, check whether the VC Froges Villard-Bonnot cycling club's long-running Prapoutel-Pipay hillclimb time trial - an annual local event held for decades - falls during your trip; it's run on this same road.
Grenoble, about 30 minutes south, has the region's fullest range of hotels, bike shops, and transit connections (including its own airport and TGV station) for a longer trip based in the area. See our Routes in the Area tool to compare this climb with the neighboring Prapoutel road from the same base.
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