Question for those who have done both: How much tougher is the Galibier ( via Telegraphe ) than Ventoux ( Via Bedoin)?

Thanks

I’ve done the Galibier starting from the Col du Lauraret, then all the way down to the bottom of the Telegraph and back up to the top of the Galibier. I found the climb up the Telegraph to be harder than the Galibier because you’re stuck in the trees and you have less appreciation of height gain.

I’ve ridden up Ventoux twice in the same week, both times from Bedoin. There were some steep parts and I really felt the altitude for the last few km.

I don’t know which is toughest!

Do you mean including the Telegraph, or just the Galibier on its own?

If the latter then Ventoux is tougher IMO.

Galibier is ace though. One of my favourites

Hi ReggieG

Including the Telegraphe, yes. I did the Ventoux last year from Bedoin, and i’m going back again in August, but I’m spending 4 days in Orelle on the way back and want to have a pop at Galibier.

I’m kinda hoping the training and the climb itself ( Ventoux ) will be sufficient for the Galibier

the combined Telegraph and Galibier is longer (12+18=30km) than Ventoux but obviously you get a rest in the middle dip at Valloire which you don’t on Ventoux. If you can do Ventoux then you’ll be fine. I found the Telegraph pretty easy myself, as the trees make it shaded and cooler (this is on the Marmotte). But the last 2km or so of the Galibier is hard.

Ventoux is tougher in my view because it is steep at the bottom so you are in danger of blowing your legs early, the galibier gets steep towards the end which I always find psycologically easily because the end is in sight.

I’d say Ventoux is harder than the Galibier too. It’s steeper for longer I think but also always very hot. I’ve suffered horribly up both tbh.

Edit, if you can get up one, you can get up the other, the air is thinner on Galibier as it’s much higher altitude.

The Ventoux is my favourite Alpine climb and I’ve done the ascents from Bedoin and Sault, with Bedoin being the favoured one. The climb up through the forest to the Chalet Reynard is steepish but very picturesque and then after that the awesome last few kilometres of bare rock ‘moonscape’. 😀

The weather inevitably can play a big part in it with differences between Bedoin and the summit can be enormous. It can also be very windy from the Chalet Reynard onwards because the mountain is so bare from that point on. The other memorable thing about the climb is the view of the weather station at the top, on and off for the whole climb – it never seems to get any nearer!

If you include the Telegraphe, I would say the Galibier was overall harder, probably because of the mental strain as much as the physical. I always find the 8% or so grind along the valley out of Valloire to feel harder than it looks because it doesn’t feel like you’ve actually started the mountain proper at that point (although your legs and lungs tell you otherwise!)

It’s not until you reach Plan-Lachet that you feel like the climbing really starts with a few hairpins and you quickly get a sense of height gained from the valley. After a while you are surrounded by 360 degree mountains and the view is awesome.

If you are in that area I would suggest doing l’Alpe d’Huez as well as it is another classic which should be on any cyclist’s ‘bucket list’. There is nothing like tackling those 21 hairpins and watching the TdF will never be the same again.

Thanks all – Some very useful insight there .