Valmorel via Doucy: The Hamlet Road Through the Morel Valley to Valmorel

Valmorel (Route de Doucy) is 20.7 km (12.9 mi) long and climbs 1,118 m (3,669 ft) at an average of 4.8%, from 469 m (1,538 ft) to 1,449 m (4,754 ft). It also includes about 138 m (453 ft) of descent, so the climbing sections are steeper than the average suggests.

The first kilometer is nearly flat at about 2%. From there the Route de Doucy settles into a long, regular climb of 6% to 7.7% for 7 km (4.3 mi), reaching about 970 m (3,182 ft) below Doucy. Past Raclaz the road dips briefly, climbs again to about 1,127 m (3,698 ft) at Le Villaret around km 12, then descends roughly 85 m (279 ft) on the Route du Morel through Le Meiller to the floor of the Morel valley.

After rejoining the Route de Valmorel near Les Avanchers at about km 15, the final 6 km (3.7 mi) climb at 5% to 7.5% through Le Pré and Le Crey to the resort.

Steepest sections: 100 yards (91 m) at 11.4%, 0.5 km (0.3 mi) at 8.7%, 1 km (0.6 mi) at 7.9%, 2 km (1.2 mi) at 7.6% and 5 km (3.1 mi) at 7.1%.

Provisions:  Fill bottles and buy food in Aigueblanche before you start. The Doucy side is mostly small hamlets with no reliable shops in summer, and Valmorel, at the top, is a winter-first resort with a quieter summer offering. Carry enough for 20.7 km (12.9 mi) of mostly exposed road.

Gear:  A compact crankset with a wide-range cassette suits the long 6% to 7.7% stretches. Bring a windproof layer for the descent, and make sure your brakes are in good shape for the narrow drop through the Morel valley.

This is the climb to ride if you want to see the old villages on the Doucy side of the Morel valley. In Raclaz, right on the route, the Musée d'Antan occupies the former village school and recreates a 1945 classroom, kitchen, bedroom and the schoolmaster's apartment. It opened in 1996, is free, and is usually open on Wednesday afternoons in July and August.

Doucy's own church holds a main altarpiece carved in 1698 and a rosary altarpiece from 1708, though it is generally closed to the public. Above the village, Doucy Station, the small ski area at Doucy-Combelouvière, has a viewpoint over the glaciers of the Vanoise, the Beaufortain and the upper Tarentaise, and one of the valley's free bike-wash stations. For the church at Les Avanchers and the Valmorel resort itself, see our Valmorel page. Conditions at Valmorel can be very different from the Isère valley floor, so check them with our Weather tool before you go.