omotal

Within the last year, VeloNews or one of the other print mags punlished "The 50 greatest climbs" from bike races around the world, including L'Alpe dHuez, Ventoux etc etc. I of course have lost my copy - does anyone know if a copy exists on the Internet? I am planning a pilgrimmage to Europe to do some of these climbs and the article would be a help.

Namenda

I believe it was Procycling magazine, about a year ago or so.

iab

I don't know about the article but this is a good site for climbs.

https://www.climbbybike.com/index.asp

dogpound

huh, I'm surprised to see haliakala #5 on 20 most difficult climbs

Cypress

Why?

Hammertoe

Procycling UK....
(Thanks Merlin)

50. Col de la Croix Fry
49. Ghisallo
48. La Pandera
47. Mont Faron
46. Brasstown
45. Croced"Aune
44. Hautacam.
43. Monte Grappa
42. Mount Evans
41. Mur de Huy
40. Puy de Dome
39. Colle delle Finestre
38. Col de Marie Blanque
37. Rettenbchferner
36. La Linea
35. Col de l'Izoard
34. Gavia
33. Flagstaff
32. Lagos de Covadonga
31. Col de la Bonette
30. Sustenpass
29. Mount Baw Baw
28. Koppenberg
27. Kitzbuheler Horn
26. Passo delle Fittanze
25. Col d'Aubisque
24. St Gotthard
23. Monte Bondone
22. Puerto de Navacerrado
21. Col de la Croix/ Col du Glandon
20. Tre Cime di Lavaredo
19. Joux Plane
18. La Redoute
17. Blockhaus
16. Plateau de Beille
15. Passo di Marmolada
14. Col de Madeleine
13. Mount Washington
12. Sierra Nevada
11. Grossglockner
10. Col de Tourmalet
9. Moritrolo
8. Alto del Angliru
7. Galibier
6. Muur van Geraardsbergen
5. Genting Highlands
4. Passo dello Stelvio
3. Alpe d'Huez
2. Monte Zoncolan
1. Mount Ventoux

I certainly disagree with the list...

I believe Mt. Washington is much harder than Alpe d'Huez (although I have never climbed Alpe d'Huez)...

BananaTugger

It was greatest, not most difficult.

Even so, the apex of those switch backs are very steep.

dogpound

while I wont say it was easy, I would think there would be more that were more difficult.
I actually thought Etna was more difficult ( I did them both last year) though I may have just been having a bad day

Hammertoe

save10

Its not hardest climb. Its greatest climb - which includes history and significance of said climb - thats why hills like the Koppenburg on the list. Mt Washington is nice and all, but I would love to ride the Alpe d'uez and ride in the shadows of Hampsten and Lemond and Patani and the others.

Hammertoe

I would then still disagree with the list...

Mt. Washington should not even be on the list and Brasstown/Mt. Evans???..

The Koppenberg certainly should be higher...

Cypress

I figure it's the distance and time that it takes you to do MT Hal. I hear the descent is BORING and cold.

Patriot

Hurricane Ridge WA, is still one of the local climbs I intend on tackling. Roughly a 4500ft ascent. Perhaps this summer.

dogpound

the day I did it the climbing was a lot colder.
it's not that boring going down, lots of hairpins so you have to pay attention.

Olebiker

Have you ever been on Brasstown Bald?

Hammertoe

Are we saying "hardest" or "greatest"...

No I have not done Brasstown...

I have done Mt. Washington...

Others on the forums have compared Mt. Washington to Brasstown and feel Mt. Washington is harder...

I think we have unfortunately got to "my climb is better than yours"...

AlexTaylor

Indeed - Greatest, not Hardest!!

omotal

This is fantastic; just what I was looking for. The idea is to climb Alpe d'Huez and then find 3 or 4 more climbs in the area to bag. Ideally, these are tough climbs with some significance (probably in the TDF). "Great" in these terms means tough and signficant; i think Alpe d'Huez makes the grade (pun intended) on that front. I rode in Europe in 89 and saw leMond paste Fignon in Paris on the time trial after giving up the lead. Need to get back there before 20 years passes!

Thanks again.

omotal

Just found my new favourite web site, thanks to you. perfect.

ElJamoquio

Brasstown wasn't bad at all, in my opinion.

Terex

Agreed. Great stuff. But check out England. Every speed bump in the country is listed. The site would also appear to need a lot of data input for US climbs.

The North East climbing site (forget the names) that has the Mt. Washington graphs and others is also a favorite.

Hammertoe

My favorite climbing site...

But I live in the Northeast...

He has climbed all over the world...

https://www.northeastcycling.com/NE_Climbs_main.html

MarkSch

Here's a nice ride....

Start in Bourg D'Oisans.

Ride east and then over the Galibier....this is the easy side, but still takes you to about 10,000 feet...descend going "over" the Telegraphe. Then go over the Col de la Croix de Fer. back down to Bourg D'Oisans, and then up Alpe D'huez.

If my memory serves, that's a shade over 100 miles and gives you 3 really good climbs, and the little kick of Telegraphe.

omotal

dynamite, that might just be the ticket. thanks.

merlinextraligh

In part depends on context. The first 2 times I climbed Brasstown it was after 100 miles and 11,000 vertical, and I'd say it deserves its place.

I've done 7 of the 50 climbs listed, ( Ventoux, Galibier, Aubisque, Izoard, Marie Blanque, L'Alpe de Huez and Brasstown) Brasstown was the only one I had to walk.

Also, IIRC that list was taken from climbs in significant races, and I think they were trying to include not just Europe. Hence they took the toughest climb in a UCI level stage race in the U.S.