Col de l’Iseran (South)

Since the epic Col du Galibier ride of two days ago, I have relocated 36 miles further up the Maurienne valley to the village of Termignon (part of Val Cenis), from where I started today's ride to the highest paved pass in the Alps, Col de l'Iseran. I've already climbed this col from the north side, and today I would be completing the missing piece of the jigsaw. I don't consider a col fully conquered until I've ridden all sides of it. For Club des Cent Cols purposes, though, a col only counts once — no matter how many different ways you reach it.

The day promised to be sunny and hot, so I wore lightweight kit without a base layer, with my rain jacket in my backpack for the descent. I left just before 9 am with the temperature in the high teens °C under a clear blue sky.

Similar to the Galibier ride, today started with a 16 mile ride up the valley to where the main climb to Col de l'Iseran begins, at Bonneval-sur-Arc. But this time the preamble was a completely different experience, without the busy traffic and industry.

The ride started with a steepish climb out of Termignon on the D1006 road towards Col du Mont Cenis. After a slight descent the road levels out for the next three straightish miles to Lanslebourg.

At Lanslebourg the D1006 cuts over the river and climbs to Col du Mont Cenis and Italy. But that way was for another day — today I carried straight on, following the river on the D902. Out of the village, a steep climb—almost 10%—gradually eases over the next four miles to Col de la Madeleine (not the famous one).

There is a slight descent from Col de la Madeleine, after which the road levels out for the next couple of miles to the village of Bessans. It remains fairly flat all the way to Bonneval-sur-Arc, another five miles along — the gentle gradient being typical of a road following a river upstream.

And that stretch of road, already beautiful from Lanslebourg, just kept getting better after Bessans, as the valley floor widens on either side. I found myself riding along a quiet road between alpine meadows carpeted with the flowers of spring, mountains rising all around me, sunshine overhead, and barely any traffic. Need I say more..?

I reached Bonneval-sur-Arc after nearly two hours of riding. This is where the climb proper begins. I stopped briefly to make notes and eat some banana. From here the road stops following the river Arc, and instead climbs the north side of the valley via a couple of long switchbacks before heading into the mountains, following the Ruisseau de la Lenta (a tributary of the Arc) all the way to the col.

From Bonneval-sur-Arc it’s an eight-mile (13 km) climb at an average of just under 8%. But the profile draws a more detailed picture, showing three distinct ramps separated by short respites.

The first 2½ miles climb at 8.1%, taking in those two long switchbacks up the valley side. After a brief easing, the second ramp is another 2½ miles, steeper again at 8.6%. Following one last gentler section, the final push to the col comes in the form of a mile at 10% and a further half-mile at around 8%. It's a good job those easier stretches are there, because overall it just gets steeper and steeper.

As the road climbed, green pasture gave way to lichen-stained rock, and then to the grey and white of bare mountainside, streaked with the remnants of winter snow.

There was little traffic, much of it consisting of what looked like a day out for the Lancia Fulvia owner's club. It was great to see these beautiful old cars in such a setting. Bellissimo!

As is often the case, a roadside photographer was strategically positioned to capture dramatic images of passing cyclists. I assume bikers and motorists get included in this — I don't see why not..

So there I was once more at the Col de l'Iseran. A handful of bikers, cars and cyclists were milling around.

As elsewhere — Col de la Madeleine and Col du Granon come to mind — the summit sign is rather optimistic. Col de l’Iseran stands at 2,764 metres, not 2,770. That aside, it remains the highest paved road pass in the Alps.

After twenty minutes or so, I put my rain jacket on for the ride back down. The descent was, of course, hugely enjoyable.

Fast at first down to Bonneval-sur-Arc, then back along that wonderful wide valley, the temperature now in the high 20s. Through Lanslebourg the Lancia Fulvia gang were once more in attendance.

The temperature was nudging 30°C by the time I got back to Termignon, another brilliant day's cycling over with.

While not as gruelling as my Col du Galibier ride of two days ago, today’s excursion shared many of the same ingredients: perfect weather, very little traffic, no armco (hoorah!) and spectacular mountain scenery. In other respects it surpassed it — particularly the beautiful ride along the valley leading up to the climb.

This was my sixth ride in the area over the past ten days and I must say I'm loving the Maurienne Valley !

Check out the video for a better sense of the ride:

For details of the northern ascent from Bourg-Saint-Maurice, see here:

Col de l’Iseran

A tough bike ride from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Col de l'Iseran, the highest paved pass in the Alps. Beautiful scenery beyond Val d'Isère.

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