UKC

I'm just back from Nice after cycling there from Geneva. While I'm not new to road cycling I am relatively new to Alpine scale climbs and got the bug after a laden tour of the Pyrenees a couple of years ago and a roadie holiday last year to the Maurienne valley. There is something profoundly rewarding about cycling up long steady inclines. So what are your favourite climbs?

Mine are so far:

Col du Galibier from Valloire, becasue it's the Galibier and it is simply magnificent.
Col d'Iseran from Val d'Isere, for similar reasons and it's not so taxing that you can't take in the unfolding scenery around you.
Col de la Cayolle from Barcelonette, easy angled and utterly beautiful, reminded me of the eastern Pyrenees a bit
Col du Pre from Areche, because it's quiet and the view that suddenly appears at the top is gobsmacking.
Col du Portalet from Laruns, long, steady and ever-developing scenery.

Ones I've descended and want to climb:

Cormet de Roselend from Bourg. Stunningly beautiful ride down so it's got to be done up the way so I can take in the scenery instead concentrating on staying on the road.
Col d'Aubisque from Laruns
Col d'Aravis from Flumet
Col de Rousset from Die, for all the hairpins
Col du Tourmalet, both sides, as we did it from Ste Marie in torrential rain and saw nothing.
Col de la Croix de fer from St Jean. descended it twice, totally stunning.

Over to the UKC velogrimpeurs for more suggestions to put in the to-do book:

In reply to Removed User:

St Gotthard from Airolo is just superb. The pave is not to harsh and just adds to the feeling of riding a classic old road.

Grosse Scheiddegg from Meiringen is beautiful with some tough sections that last long enough but not too long! Unfortunately when we rode this a couple of weeks ago it was raining and foggy so we missed the views of the Wetterhorn and Eiger.

I still think the best descent I have done is the Iseran to Bonneville; it has everything.

As you say the Cormet de Roseland is lovely. The Sella pass from Campitello is really good and that stretch of road where you are just aiming at the massive wall of limestone is classic.

More when I think of it.

In reply to Removed User: The Grossglockner in Austria is pretty awesome, something like 2500 m of ascent without any flat. In UK the road up to haytor from Bovey Tracey takes some beating, better still Widecombe to the top of the hill on the way out towards Bovey.

In reply to Removed User:

Cairn o'Mount. Best climb I've done. Best done S to N on a sunny day when there aren't any cars around.

In reply to Removed User:

Kirkstone Pass from Ings.

In reply to Removed User: Definitely fbd.

In reply to Removed User:

I'm biased of course but out of all the climbs in SE France I've done The Ventoux from Bedoin is the hardest (felt desperate yesterday). But this can be combined with the best descent in SE France which is from the summit of The Ventoux down into Malaucene - 21km in less than 20 minutes. Fairly easy to get 100kmh+ in a couple of places.

Galibier from St Michel is my next hardest one and I love the view south to La Meije when you cross over the col.

I also love it when you look north from The Glandon and see Mont Blanc directly behind the Col de Madelaine.

E

In reply to Removed User:

I got a bit stuck in over the summer, rode the Col de l'Iseran, Telegraphe, Galibier, Lautaret, Ale d'Huez, Col de Vars, Restefond and Bonette and the Verdon Gorge Circuit.

I have to say the Col de la Croix de Fer could be counted as my most excruciating one which probably makes it favorite. The only time in recent history I remember making an active decision not to cry because I remembered how badly crying affects my breathing. It was monstrous, I took a very very long time to do the last 4 or so K.

I probably need to get out in the UK a bit more, and I reckon Italy and Austria too before I put a top ten list together!

In reply to AlisonSmiles:
Is wasn't so bad was it.....you looked ok at the summit :]

Ventoux/The Alpe/ Telegraphe & Galibier or the Izoard for me......or Whalley Nab :]
Guppy

In reply to Removed User: Not much of a climb but... Gotta be nant gwynant to pen y pass on an april evening after work as its starting to get warm and the nights draw out. No traffic, sun coming down over Hebog and then Snowdon... bliss

Not done much in the Alps but best day was Col du Mollard, Croix de fer, glandon circuit - as Enty said view from Glandon to Mont Blanc stunning, as was the descent of the Glandon

In reply to Removed User:

Just rode San Bernardino from the South today - fantastic. Imagine it would make a pretty good descent too. Just a shame it's so popular with motorcyclists.

In reply to Removed User:

Thanks for the replies, keep them coming, making lists of things to do next year is getting me through the post-holiday blues.

Others I've driven and must climb:

The Mont Cenis from Susa: that felt like it went on forever.
Many in the Dolomites, especially the Pordoi and the Tre Cime road from Misurina. Not been over the Stelvio but the pictures are enough.
The Cirque du Troumouse

Yep, The Ventoux is a must.
Done the Verdon loop, stunning.

Nearer home, the private road up to the golf ball at Great Dun Fell.

In reply to Removed User:

I should add Col d'Aravis from the other side; the slowly (in my case) unfolding view of Mt Blanc is awesome.

In reply to Removed User:

Nice thread.

I spent a few days in Andorra in the summer, which has some very quiet, beautiful roads (as well as some very busy, ugly ones).

The climb to Arcalis ski station is long (25km from the Andorra La Vella), leads up a beautiful valley, and is very dramatic in the final switchbacks. It was a stage finish for the Tour a couple of years ago.

But the real magic for me was on the little known Port de Cabus. A while ago, the Andorran government wanted to create another road entry into the principality from Spain. So they built a road up a mountain pass to the Spanish border. The only thing is, the Spanish couldn't be bothered to reciprocate. So the road finishes at a col (the Port de Cabus) at 2300m, in the middle of absolutely nowhere, with just wild horses and amazing views for company. The climb itself has 1300m of elevation over 22-ish km, and is challenging without being nails. Highly recommended.

In reply to Removed User: Never ridden in the Alps, so a long list of stuff to do, but just back from taking my newly whippet-like (well, not quite so big fat labrador anyway) body to Mallorca for a weekend of toasting my mates on some hills, and will now add Sa Callobra to my list of amazing climbs that i actually enjoyed (as opposed to endured) - and whilst not scaring the upper end of the Strava leaderboard I was dead chuffed to get under 40 minutes for it.

Also (whilst much shorter) I really enjoyed the Coll du Soller from Bunyola - proper hairpins and a gradient you can really give it beans up.

In reply to Removed User:

This is compiled from my first full summer cycling in the Alps... And like Enty I'm probably a bit biased.

Also I have tried to put them in an order but I can't, so lets just say all rides are equal, or almost equal!!!

Col de Joux Plane from Samoens and descent to Morzine (has been renamed Col of Joy and Pain at certain times!)

Col de Colombiere from Cluses and with Col de Aravis from La Clusaz tagged onto the end.

Col de Glandon from Allemont, just breathtaking, and amazing enough for me not to notice 1hr 45mins of cycling uphill!

Galibier, because I have now ski toured over it and ridden it. (via telegraph on the bike, and its just as fun to ski off as ride off!)

Col de Bassachaux (above Chatel, france) this was my morning commute to work for a summer and is just best commute I have found so far. 4 or 5 times a week ofr a couple months and still not bored!

Still more riding to be done this summer though so this might need updating after the trip to the dolomites in a couple weeks... Thanks for the ideas from others aswell, its good to see what others rate.

In reply to Removed User: Here are a couple of vids from the last two years:-

vimeo.com/75198016 this shows the St Gotthard, perfect pave.
vimeo.com/49836404 this shows why I like the descent of the Iseran to Bonneville so much.