20.9
PDI
7.8 mi
DISTANCE
3,126 ft
GAINED
7.7 %
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. Col des Cyclotouristes covers 12.5 km (7.8 mi) and gains 953 m (3,126 ft) in total, rising from 350 m (1,149 ft) in Conflans to about 1303 m (4,275 ft) at the col, at an average grade of 7.7%.
The grade is consistently stiff: the steepest 10 km (6.2 mi) average 7.7%, the steepest 5 km (3.1 mi) 8.4%, the steepest 2 km (1.2 mi) 9.0%, the steepest kilometer (0.6 mi) 9.7% and the steepest 500 m (0.3 mi) 10.3%. The steepest 91 m (100 yd) reaches 11.6%.
Because the spread between the average and the steepest stretches is small, there is little to recover on and little to surprise you, but the gradient changes often enough that it rewards a steady cadence rather than a fixed rhythm.
Roadway: The route follows the Route du Fort du Mont and is paved all the way. Riders describe the surface as fairly good at the start but deteriorating, especially after the Fort du Mont, with gravel, potholes and rough patches on the upper section, so wider tires help and the descent needs care.
Traffic: Traffic is very light - mostly residents - and the road is a quiet, forested climb for most of the way.
Parking: The start on Place Charles Albert is in Conflans, a compact medieval quarter reached by only two roads from Albertville, so many riders will find it simpler to park in the lower town of Albertville and ride up to Conflans as a short warm-up.
Provisions: Fill up in Albertville before you start, and carry two bottles in warm weather.
Gear: A compact crankset with a 30-tooth or larger cog suits a 7.7% average with 10% pitches. The upper road is rough in places, so wider tires and a firm grip on the descent matter more than a lighter bike. The shade helps in summer, but afternoons can feel close under the trees.
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.
Conflans is a destination in itself. This medieval fortified town above the meeting of the Arly and Isere rivers appears in a charter of 1015 and once controlled the salt route from Moutiers. Its Tour sarrasine is a 12th-century keep, the Maison Rouge, built around 1397, houses the local art and history museum, and Albertville is a Ville d'Art et d'Histoire. A few minutes wandering the old streets before the climb is time well spent.
The Fort du Mont is the landmark you pass on the way up, around 10 km (6.2 mi) in. If you want a longer day, Ugine, a short way up the Arly valley, is the base for our Col de l'Arpettaz and Col de l'Arpettaz Est climbs, and several other climbs start around Albertville.
See other climbs nearby, or build a custom route from here, with our Routes in the Area tool.
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carlinguernsey
If you are in the Albertville, area this is good test. Follow the signs to Fort du Mont. The gradient is more steady at 7 to 8% after the difficult first k. There are signs every k to tell you what is coming. Most of the climb is in a forest with some views of Albertville and the surroundings. The road surface is not always very good and it gets even worse with about 2k to go. You basically need to go down the same road again. The descent might be a bit hair raising if it is raining due to sharp corners, steep drop offs, bad road surface, and steeper gradients.
