I am going away next year with a group to the Alps and we are tacking Alpe d Huez. What’s it like and how long will it take to haul my fat ass up it? 😯

In comparison to a lot of the famous alpine climbs is is actually quite short, but it is steep. I think the record is 26 mins for the pros, I would suggest if you keep it under 1 hour you will have done well.

I’ve done it a long time ago and took most of the day over it, but I was 14! I’ve driven up it since and struggled to get a car up it in under 26 mins.

It’s steep but short as said above, getting up it is not so much the challenge, but getting up it in a respectable time is!
Also, not getting dropped by an annoying Frenchman who cheekily shouts ‘allez’ at you as he passes…

The record is nearer 40 mins, under an hour would be a pretty awesome feat, an hour to an hour and half is the normal range. I took 2, but I already had three mountains in my legs.

Apologies, the record it 37’35” for Marco Pantani, Armstrong is 1 second slower. So under 90 mins would be fast then!

On a coolish day Alpe d’Huez is surprisingly straight forward* as you can get a good rythym going with a bit of recovery depending how you take the hairpins. Biggest problem i have had with climbs like that is not the gradient, height or length but the weather. A bit of heat and they quickly become very hard.

*When i say straight forward i dont mean easy, it is still going to require a fair bit of effort even in ideal conditions!

if you’ve never done a long Alpine/Pyrenean climb then it’ll be an eye-opener. It’s about 8-10% for an hour and a half basically.

As the first climb of the day, in cool temps, it’s not a big deal and you’ll be okay.
As part of the Marmotte, in 40 degree heat, after three big cols, it’s brutal.

Get a decent low gear and you’ll be fine.

It’s not that steep I didn’t think, the hairpins smooth it out, I don’t recall it getting steep at all in fact, certainly not by Fred Whitton standards.

Or maybe I am remembering something else – I climbed from the town of Bourg d’Oisans to the ski town was under an hour on an MTB.

Look on YouTube for vids of people doing it. It’s hard to get a perspective for length and climb but it’s going to at least give you some sort of idea.

I’ve done it a couple of times back in 05′ and although being with fitmates we all suffered a bit when the temps creapt above 35C. Climbing is best early morning or late afternoon, should only take a couple of hours.

Would suggest some form of training here if poss, do reps of a steep climb for an hour or so a couple of times a week, it won’t make you Marco but might just ease the brain and legs into the effort required.

Then when done.. Look off the top of it and gasp.

The first 3 sections (switchbacks) average out at about 12% then it flattens out to about 8%. Like others have said, it’s ok with fresh legs but after 3 other climbs and a hot day it becomes a bit more challenging. I want to try it with the twins in a trailer.

The first four ramps are steep, after that it eases off.

How hard can it be? Depends how much you like climbing and how quickly you want to get up I guess. Its easier than other climbs in the area because its not that long (comparatively speaking) and the plaques at each bend – not to mention the slogans painted on the road – give you something to read and think about as you go up, so it doesn’t get monotonous. Anyway, its l’Alpe, you’ll be excited just to be there. Plus, the scenery is jaw-dropping and the higher you go, the more you see.

I did it last year in a real hurry – was en route to Marseille from Bourg StM to fly home, had to also stop at Bedoin to return a bike. I’d planned for enough time to dump the car at Bourg d’Oisans, scoot up it, few photos then back down, but that was before I hit traffic approaching Grenoble. Decided to go for it anyway but had to hammer up it then drive like a maniac all the way south and made it with minutes to spare. I was well under the hour for the climb! 😀

And hopefully the weather will be in your favour. If it isn’t (howling gale, snow on the top, or scorching sun) don’t bother.

Keep going and ride the Col de Sarenne as well.

How hard it is depends on your fitness and your gearing!

I did it last year and didn’t think it was too bad. Most of it is a relatively constant gradient, so just find the right gear and spin up it.

For me the biggest problem was the heat. It was mid August and about 36′ at the bottom. I set off at a pace I could maintain, but quickly overheated, after about 3km I saw a stream so just jumped off the big, jumped in the stream and jumped back on the bike again. Then I had to stop for water at one of the villages to get more water on the way up.

Still did it in about an hour and a quarter though including stops which I’m pretty happy with!

Keep going and ride the Col de Sarenne as well.

Ah, the “man line” good call. And there’s some ace singletrack down the Sarenne gorge too…tho taking a MTB all the way up from the bottom then back down would be only for the keenest contour enthusiast.

As others have said it’s perfectly manageable if you are prepared. People have mentioned how much harder it becomes in the heat, but it’s not great in bad weather either. I’ve had both, this year one day I pretty much rode up it in a cloud so couldn’t see much, it was just a slog (not helped by the fact I’d already swum 1.5 miles, cycled 60 miles and had to do a half marathon when I got to the top!), cold and soaking wet – it was July.

If you are in the area to cycle do some of the other climbs too, they’re a lot nicer, with less traffic in a lot of cases. Climbs to Oz, Vaujany, Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Sabot, Col d’Ornon etc… some of the climbs have permanent timing systems in place so you just need a timtoo chip. There’s some route guides here (both road and MTB)

If you can’t get up it in an hour you need to go back down and do it again properly

oh, 😉

Another Marmotte survivor, on its own am sure it’s quite fun, as the finale to a long July day in the saddle it was an unspeakable hell of burning tarmac and broken bodies. Enjoy.

…….Dont know your schedule but I’d rather ride Glandon or Galibier. Quieter, prettier.

Hearing that someone can ride up their in 37 minutes makes me realise how relatively unfit I am compared to these guys 😯

Once rented a chalet in Alpe d’Huez for a week, every day’s ride started with the descent and finished with the climb back up – got to know all 21 bends rather well by the end of the holiday.

As part of the Marmotte, in 40 degree heat, after three big cols, it’s brutal

+1

Possibly one of the most painful hours of my life at the end of La Marmotte.

I climbed from the town of Bourg d’Oisans to the ski town was under an hour on an MTB.

If Pantani took 37 mins then no way did you do it under an hour on a MTB 🙂

I climbed from the town of Bourg d’Oisans to the ski town was under an hour on an MTB.

If Pantani took 37 mins then no way did you do it under an hour on a MTB

Of course it is, this is the internet. Anything is possible.

Yes, when I rode it at the end of the Marmotte I saw one guy stop, stand still for about 2 seconds then fall over and fit…

Did it on a full suss Marin with knobbly tyres – my better half on her Rockhopper in 2005…! Frenchies (on bikes and in cars) thought we were mad…. but encouraged us anyway – allez allez….! Took us 2.5 hours – including stops for my Mrs (who wasn’t/isn’t a regular cyclist).

Reckon you’d do it in a little over an hour at a steady pace….on a road bike…

LeeW – Member

I climbed from the town of Bourg d’Oisans to the ski town was under an hour on an MTB.

If Pantani took 37 mins then no way did you do it under an hour on a MTB

Of course it is, this is the internet. Anything is possible.

+1 krillion

Hearing about the pros who can do it it 37 mins makes me realise how relatively unchemically enhanced i am;0)

Alpine road climbs are ace!

21 Bends in 13mins

Ford transit

The tour stages go through the town and finish further up the road. 37 minutesish to the top finish is the record.

The official top is halfway up the car park near the Ski Station that bit adds another 5 mins from the town. I’ve got my arse up there in 49 mins the day before La Marmott and around that in 7hrs on the nose.

I prefer the other climbs in the area though. Col de Sarenne is ace, up the Mollard en route to the Croix de fer is also a tough little number at the end of a day, the Galibier for the view, the decent off the Telegraph and the Mollard is amazing! there’s also a nice traverse across L’alpe from La Garde (4km up L’alpe on right)

Whats the distance and elevation?

14km, about 1,100m elevation.

I havent done it since I was about 12 years old when I did it in about 1 1/2 hours on a crappy 10speed Raleigh Elite bike.

I did it starting from the campsite at the bottom. The first few corners are very steep, and then it flattens out some what to the extent that even going up hill feels very easy. It then gets harder again as you get towards the top.

Its all ok though, you just need to get in to a nice rhythm.

I did it many years ago on my Mtb and found it quite a steady climb once you got into a rhythm. I might be wrong but I recall doing it in about 1 hour 40 ish. I then did a cracking singletrack descent back to the campsite.

I’d love to have a go at that. I quite like climbing actually. 😳

I’ve done it a couple of times, once at the end of the Marmotte this year when it was 35 degrees at the bottom.

Just keep the pedals turning and you’ll get up it in 1.5 hrs.

Try not to look up too often but make sure you look down at turns 18 and 16 as you won’t believe how high you’ve climbed and its good for the morale. After the first four ramps the gradient eases off a bit but there’s a section about half way up where the gradient increases again for 3-4 turns which I find worse than the bottom ramps.

Make sure you smile for the photographers at turn 4

I did it this summer.
I was surprised how easy it was. Goes on for a while, but it’s never very steep. Only took me and the mrs an hour or so (although we were fresh – we then went on up past the town and did a nice ride on little roads through the hills out back).
Good fun though – lots of random people cheering you on 🙂