Region: French Alps
Climbing effort: 877 cep
Elevation meters: 1150
Steepest kilometer: 8.8%

Steepest 250 m: 11%
Foot: 275 m    Top: 1421 m
Mean slope: 7.1%
Length: 16.2 km

From: Cognin-les-Gorges
Road conditions (2018): good
Other race bikers: 0-1 per hour
Motor vehicles: 10-30 per hour
Scenery and road: (4/5)
Restaurant or bar near top: no

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Other climbs French Alps

This is another wonderful climb but nontheless I have hardly seen any other racing cyclists when I biked up here. Wonderful, because the road is narrow, there is hardly any traffic and the slope is pleasant (7-9% during 12 of the total of 16 kilometers). The first three and a half kilometers after the start in Cognin-les-Gorges are not that special yet but then the road suddenly winds itself into the Gorges du Nan (a canyon). A good opportunity to make some nice pictures. Do not wait to enyoy this beautiful piece of nature because after some two kilometers the road leaves the canyon. Yet the following few kilometers towards Malleval-en-Vercors still offer a lot of pleasure thanks to the utterly green landscape with steep rocks on the background. In and beyond Malleval always follow the signs to Rencurel. After a junction, about three kilometers before the pass, cycling becomes a little easier, although the slope varies considerably (from 0 to 10%). The road now leads continuously through the forest. We reach the col that is indicated only by a single information board standing at some distance from the road, in a bend to the left. Perhaps the total lack of asking some attention for this place is the reason that cyclists do not frequent it.