Excuse my snarky title, but I believe many cyclo-tourists do themselves a huge disservice by prioritising Alpe d’Huez above many far, far more interesting roads. So in an effort to convince people to consider cycling somewhere else —– here is my list of 100 better options.
Criteria:
Only paved roads.
Only road that I have cycled – ie. My list only has French, Swiss, and Italian mountains.
A summit counts only once. Although clearly, for example, all three sides of Stelvio, both sides of Gavia, at least two sides of Ventoux, etc. are much more fun than Alpe d’Huez. So this list is really far more than 100 climbs.
For me a good climb is a combination of challenging, high, quiet, and beautiful (eg. mountains, hairpins, cliffs, alpine lakes, etc).
Alpe d’Huez is of course still interesting. See this link for more (and sometimes better) rides in the area: Beyond Alpe d’Huez: The Best Cycling Climbs from Bourg d’Oisans.
Feel free to disagree with some climbs on my list, but yes, I excluded a bunch of other roads that could have, at least arguably, also been on this list. For maps, photos and trip reports for any of the below climbs, just put the name into the search bar at top right of page.
100 Climbs Better than Alpe d’Huez
Colle del Nivolet – Super high, killer hairpins, and a bunch of stunning alpine lakes. The best.
Gran Paradiso indeed
Passo dello Stelvio – All three sides (don’t forget the Swiss side via Umbrailpass) are beyond belief.
Colle Fauniera – Three extremely difficult routes up this remote Piemonte climb.
Passo Gavia – Huge, savage climb. Both sides terrific.
Col de l’Iseran – the highest paved pass in Europe. Both sides wonderful.
Col de l’Iseran – Grey Beard drinks beer
Grosse Scheidegg – Maybe the most beautiful on this list?
Grosse Scheidegg – Friendly Stranger
Route des Lacs (Lac Cap de Long) – My favourite climb in the Pyrenées.
Col du Galibier – The north side including Télégraphe is 35 kms of “fun.”
View from Col du Galibier
Monte Grappa – 9(!) Hors Categorie routes up this legendary Italian mountain.
Monte Grappa Bike Day
Mont Ventoux – Three ways up to this unique lunar experience.
Ventoux
Lago di Narèt – Hidden in the Italian part of the Swiss Alps, this tough, quiet, long climb has several beautiful dams/lakes. I called this the best climb NOT in either of Daniel Friebe’s great Mountain Higher(er) series.
Laghetti Superiore: A heart shaped lake?
Cime de la Bonnette – One of the highest roads in Europe. 2 big sides.
Nufenenpass – The 2nd highest paved road in Switzerland. Hard work.
Passo della Novena (Nufenenpass) and
Col Agnel – On the French/Italian border, the 3rd highest paved pass in Europe. Italian side is a monster.
Lac d’Emosson and above – A tough Swiss climb to a stunning dam. A tiny road beyond goes up to another dam.
Col du Granon – The 2nd highest Tour de France finish (’86) was here.
Plan du Lac – Beautiful, huge climb in the Haute-Maurienne (France).
Passo San Gottardo – This Swiss Beauty has some of the sexiest hairpins in cycling.
Tremola
Col du Sanetsch – Swiss cyclists “in-the-know” will often tell you this is the best big climb in Switzerland.
Col du Grand St-Bernard – On the Swiss/Italian border, the Italian side is superb. A car-only bypass tunnel keeps the hairpins quiet.
Passo Giau – One of the true gems of the Dolomites. Both sides shine.
Passo Giau
Grimselpass – When climbing this Swiss giant, don’t forget the extension up higher to Oberaarsee.
Männlichen – Super quiet (and difficult) climb in the UNESCO protected Berner Oberland. Look up and the Eiger is always there.
La Grand Dixence – At the summit is one of the biggest dams in the entire world (3rd?) – one of many fun Swiss Valais rides to alpine dams.
Col d’Izoard – The land of Coppi and Bobet. 2 sublime sides, the south includes the legendary Casse Deserte.
Izoard: Bike-only Day
Rifugio Auronzo – A super steep Dolomite road in the shadows of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo – bring hiking shoes to go even higher.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Colle della Lombarda – High climb on the Italian/French border. The Italian side is fantastic.
Lac de Moiry – The long option to this high Swiss Valais dam includes more than 2000 metres of ascent.
Val Thorens – 38 kilometre climb to the highest ski resort in Europe.
Lac de Mauvoisin – Same start as Verbier, another beautiful climb to a Valais dam.
Furkapass – The Swiss giant appeared in the James Bond Film Goldfinger over 50 years ago (the sniper scene).
Furkapass
Col de la Cayolle – A long, interesting climb in the south French Alps.
Albulapass – Often in the Tour de Suisse. Typically Swiss beautiful.
Col d’Allos – Some beautiful cliff stretches on this scenic climb beside Cayolle.
South Side
Colle di Sampeyre – A tough Piemonte climb in the middle of no-where. Three ways up.
Port de Boucharo – Highest paved road in French Pyrenées. Last short stretch beyond Col des Tentes may be recently closed to bikes.
Passo Pordoi – Part of the great Sella Ronda loop in the Dolomites. Look for the Coppi statue at summit.
Passo Pordoi
Passo Sella – Also part of the Sella Ronda loop.
Passo Sella and my brave wife
Passo Gardena – Also part of the Sella Ronda. Note all three of above can be huge climbs when one includes the less spectacular stretches below the loop.
Cirque de Troumouse - Stunning and quiet climb that starts between the base of Tourmalet and Aubisque.
Sustenpass – Another of the Central Switzerland giants. Makes a great loop with Grimselpass and Furkapass.
A tunnel with a view. Sustenpass
Mattmarksee – Yes, another very challenging climb to a Swiss Valais dam. Above Saas-Fee ski station.
Col du Mont Cenis – On the French/Italian border. Yet again, it’s the Italian side that is far more interesting and challenging. Don’t forget the lesser known extension on a terrific little road to Col du Petit Mont Cenis.
Lac du Mont Cenis
Croix de Cœur – The last few kilometres only recently paved. The climb includes the road to Verbier but its 6 best kilometres are above the village.
Ofenpass or Pass dal Fuorn – In the super scenic Swiss National Park at the far east of country.
Lac d’Engstlen – Very quiet central Swiss road up to a little lake.
Col du Sabot – Higher, harder, and quieter than its neighbour ….. Alpe d’Huez.
Col du Tourmalet – Not quite the best, but the best known climb in the Pyrenées.
Passo Falzarego/Valparola – These two Dolomite passes are just a couple of kms apart. Several interesting ways up.
Hairpin #14 in a tunnel
La Plagne - Like Alpe d’Huez, there are 21 signed hairpins to this French ski station. But La Plagne is quite a bit higher and an awful lot quieter.
Col des Champs – The best loop in the South French Alps: Champs, Cayolle, Allos. 120 kilometres, 3 big climbs, no traffic.
Barrage Plan d’Amont – Haute-Maurienne climb to two big dams above Aussois ski station. Remember to take the correct lower road that passes several old stone Savoie forts.
Col de la Croix de Fer – Several ways up this legendary French climb. Climb via Col du Mollard for extra hairpins.
Col de la Croix de Fer
Col du Petit St. Bernard – On the French/Italian border. Climb the Italian side via the super steep Colle San Carlo for a special treat.
Col de la Croix – There are dozens of Cols with Croix in the name, but the Hors Categorie climb above Aigle is perhaps the best, and certainly one of the toughest.
Col de la Croix
Superbagnères – This Ski station in the Pyrenées is surrounded by 13 peaks over 3,000 metres.
Superbagneres
Col de Sarenne – The quiet, higher, harder back door to Alpe d’Huez.
Col de la Madeleine – Three ways up this French monster (two from the south).
Col du Joly – Dead-end road above Beaufort with a summit up close and personal with Mont Blanc.
Passo delle Erbe – Locals in the Dolomites love this climb.
Lago di Place-Moulin – In the Aosta (French-speaking) region of Italy another climb to a high alpine dam.
Klausenpass – At the base of the south side of this Swiss climb is the hometown of William Tell.
Klausenpass
Signal de Bisanne – A super-tough climb in the Beaufortain region of France.
Col du Glandon – The last two kilometres are some of the best hairpins in cycling.
A favourite hairpins views: Col du Glandon
Passo del Lucomagno – On the border of German and Italian speaking regions of Switzerland, the Italian side is over 40 kilometres long – nice dam/lake at top.
Lago di Santa Maria – top of Lucomagno
Port de Balès – The top 5 kms or so of the south side was paved in 2006 to allow this remote Pyrenées climb to 1st appear in the Tour.
Fluelapass – High, scenic climb in eastern Switzerland.
Mortirolo – The famous, super steep climb with a Pantani monument is just down the road from Passo di Gavia.
Mont du Chat – Le Cycle Magazine once called this possibly the toughest climb in France. Overlooks Lac du Bourget, biggest lake in France.
Col de Pierre Carrée – Scenic 21 kilometre climb to Flaine ski station in Haute Savoie.
Cycling with the Skiers
Grand Colombier – Don’t confuse this Jura giant with its easier Alps cousin Col de la Colombière. Four super tough ways up.
Le Semnoz – The highest paved climb near Annecy. 5 Routes to the summit.
Le Semnoz – Above the Clouds
Col de la Colombière – Take the less well known 3rd way up via Col de Romme, if you dare.
Courchevel Airport – At the end of the road above the famous French ski station, the signs in Russian help explain where richest skiers are from.
Plateau de Beille – This Pyrenéen climb shares almost identical stats to Alpe d’Huez. But the route is far, far, less developed and busy.
Val Ferret/Champex – In the same valley as Verbier, visit Champex, a favourite place of Charlie Chaplin, then head higher to Val Ferret.
Lac de Tseuzier – Start climbing through the vineyards and eventually end at another high Valais dam/lake.
Col de l’Arpettaz – North of Albertville, the west side has almost too many hairpins to count.
Col d’Aubisque – The second most famous climb in the Pyrenées.
Col du Pré – Super steep climb from Beaufort offers a superb view over Lac de Roselend on far side.
View from near Col du Pré
Col du Noyer – One of the more beautiful final kilometres anywhere – Hautes-Alpes, France.
Col du Solude - Bring a light as the tunnels are dark but likely car-free. Cliff climb cut into mountain opposite Alpe d’Huez.
Col de Joux Plane – Virenque made Armstrong suffer here once.
Col du Chaussy – Will become far better known during 2015 Tour de France. Lower 20% features the amazing Lacets (hairpins) de Montvernier.
Mont Salève – Yes, I prefer the five ways up my home mountain to the Alpe. The Le Coin sides features a 4km stretch averaging 12%. Some amazing hairpins.
Six great hairpins
Col de la Forclaz – Big Swiss climb linking Chamonix and the Valais.
La Dôle/La Barilette – Deserted Jura road high above Geneva to the Swisscom tower above.
Col de la Machine – There are many wonderful Gorges and cliff roads in the Vercors. This climb past Combe Laval is astonishing.
Plateaux des Saix – Like Col de Joux Plane, this climb starts near Samoëns and is equally difficult.
Plateau des Glières – Two fantastic roads up to the Monument Nationale à la Resistance.
Lac de l’Hongrin – Make sure the road is open before visiting on a week day as the top stretch passes through a Swiss Military base
Julierpass – The 12th highest paved road in Switzerland, above St. Moritz.
Gorges des Nesques – the lowest and least steep climb on the list, but this 20km ascent near Ventoux passes through a wondeful mini “grand canyon.” Not to be missed.
Les Gorges de la Nesque
Col de la Moutière – The 5th highest paved road in France – Super quiet, one can see much of the route looking down from Bonette.
Passo del Bernina – The 8th highest paved road in Switzerland, a full half kilometre vertical higher than Alpe d’Huez.
Col de Vars – Big south French Alps climb on the route des Grandes Alpes.
Col de la Bataille – I think (?) the highest paved pass in the Vercors Massif. Superb views.
Les Arcs – 25 kilometre climb in the Vanoise Alps.
Col de Tramassel – In the Pyrenées, this is basically the road to Hautacam, but continuing higher until the paved road ends.
Chalet de l’Ebaudiaz – Less than a kilometre longer than Alpe d’Huez, this unknown French Alps climb through a forest has almost double the hairpins.
#101 Finally!
Lac de Besson – A few kilometres above Alpe d’Huez. Because if you are going to climb Alpe d’Huez, don’t stop at the town, keep going to the end of the paved road.
Lac Besson – above Alpe d’Huez
Once I have put a little more thought into this list, I will likely rename it: My 100 Favourite Riad Bike Climbs.