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Region: French Alps
Climbing effort: 842 cep
Elevation meters: 1331
Steepest kilometer: 8.2%

Steepest 250 m: 12%
Foot: 815 m    Top: 2120 m
Mean slope: 5.5%
Length: 23.9 km

From: Bourg-St Maurice
Road conditions (2018): moderate
Other race bikers: 1-5 per hour
Motor vehicles: >180 per hour
Scenery and road: (2/5)
Restaurant or bar near top: no

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Other climbs French Alps

An ascent ending in a French winter sports resort can hardly be expected to be charming. Indeed, the trip to the highest part of Les Arcs (Arc 2000) fulfills this expectation. A wide street with relatively heavy traffic, which does not form a big sporting challenge, leads to a place with mostly huge buildings. In addition, the horrible quality of the asphalt is disappointing. By the way, the same applies to all other roads, on which I cycled during my stay in the Haute Tarentaise, the area around Bourg-St.Maurice. Strange with all those ski dollars that are earned here. Despite all this grumbling, there are views of the impressive Mont Blanc massif on the positive side. The climb begins shortly after the road from Bourg-St.Maurice crosses the Isère, at a roundabout. Up to an altitude of over 1800 meters, that is within the first 1000 elevation meters, the road includes only five hairpin bends and is usually moderately steep (6-7%). Then, a three-kilometer section with a gentle slope up and down (-2 to 4%) follows . The final four kilometers are the most exciting. One drives past Arc 1950, which looks relatively pleasant with its mostly wooden houses in a green environment. After Arc 1950 there is the distraction of a 250 meter long section of 12% and three hairpin bends. The destination is found at a fork in the road with the Club Med building on the left, at an elevation of 2120 meters.