If you come from the valley connecting Ugine to Faverges, then the road from Marlens to the Col de l'Épine represents a nice climb. There is a total of 487 elevation meters over a road with a slope that varies almost everywhere between 7 and 9%. The steepest kilometer has a gradient of 9.1%. When I was cycling here, there was quite some traffic but this occurred on a sunny Sunday in June. Most of the time, the road is probably pretty quiet. For the most part it runs through the forest so views are rare. The best views are preserved for the pass itself, in northwest direction.