Region: French Alps
Climbing effort: 1136 cep
Elevation meters: 1488
Steepest kilometer: 9.8%
Steepest 250 m: 13%
Foot: 863 m Top: 2347 m
Mean slope: 7.3%
Length: 20.5 km
From: Isola
Road conditions (2020): good
Other race bikers: 5-10 per hour
Motor vehicles: 30-60 per hour
Scenery and road:
(3/5)
Restaurant or bar near top: no
PHOTOS    
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The climb to the Col de la Lombarde from Isola counts no less than 1488 meters in altitude but I experienced relatively little pain. After a day of rest, I was in good shape; that certainly helped. In addition, the road is almost nowhere very steep. The hardest are the first 4 kilometers, two and a half of them having a gradient of 9%. Also shortly after the winter sports resort Isola 2000 the road is a little steeper for a short distance with a strip of 250 meters of 13%. During the days before we had cycled between the dense traffic with many motorcyclists around Guillestre and at the Col d'Izoard. As a result, we enjoyed the quietness on the street to the Lombarde even more. The best part of the ride are the final 3 kilometers between Isola 2000 and the pass, where high mountains dominate the views. Also the panorama from the pass, especially to the north, is impressive. The first 17 kilometers of the route from Isola to Isola 2000 are less interesting but not unpleasant. The road is located in a steep valley and it is wide but not boring due to the many bends.