Region: French Alps
Climbing effort: 315 cep
Elevation meters: 530
Steepest kilometer: 7.7%

Steepest 250 m: 10%
Foot: 959 m    Top: 1486 m
Mean slope: 5.1%
Length: 10.2 km

From: St-Jean-de-Sixt
Road conditions (2019): average
Other race bikers: 10-25 per hour
Motor vehicles: >180 per hour
Scenery and road: (2/5)
Restaurant or bar near top: yes

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Other climbs French Alps

The Col des Aravis is one of the cols of the Route des Grandes Alpes. This is undoubtedly a reason for the popularity of this pass. When I biked up here on a Sunday in June, there were a large number of cars, motorcycles and cyclists. Part of the latter category may decide for the ascent from St-Jean-de-Sixt because of the low level of difficulty. Most 500 meter intervals have a gradient of 6 or 7% whereas the first three kilometers to La Clusaz (2-4%) and the last kilometer before the pass (4-5%) are even easier. The only 500 meter interval that is steeper than 7% is situated three kilometers before the finish.

The climb can be extended with the ride from Thônes to St-Jean-de-Sixt. That adds another 164 climb effort points (cep) and 332 elevation meters. Unfortunately, this extension takes place on a road with a lot of fast driving traffic in an unimpressive landscape.