Mountains you've climbed/would like to climb

[Christian]

Hey all,

I checked they search engine and didn't find a thread like this, but if it already exists please feel free to tell me and delete this one!

Anyways the question here is: Which mountains have you climbed ? (By bike of course). How did it go? Which would you like to climb someday ?

Personally, I tried to climb Mont Ventoux in May of this year. Or might have been June. Anyways it was a really fun experience, there were hundreds of cyclists, as the weather was great and it must have been shortly before Dauphiné Libéré.

I'm not a very good cyclist and I have a Specialized "Fitness Bike", which is heavier than a regular racing bike, anyways, you can guess where I'm going with this: I wasn't able to finish. I did pretty well though, but with roughly 2 km to go to the top, I decided to stop before I jeopardized my health.

I found the beginning very hard, then the middle slightly easier. I think my mistake was that when I got to 6 km to go, I thought I'd made it, when really it just gets brutal from there on. That's the famous part where there is no vegetation left, and after every curve I thought "This must be it", and then it wasn't of course.

But hey I might not have made it all the way to the top, but it was a great experience and I?m planning to try again some time and hopefully make it then.

Other mountains I'd like to ride some day are mainly Mt. Saint Helens and Mt. Rainier in the State of Washington, as well as up to Crater Lake in Oregon. Has anyone ever done any of these? Any advice?

 

[ViaPagliano]

I would also love to try Mont Ventoux.

One day I'd also like to hit the Stelvio, Mortirolo, and also something a lot more accessible to me, which are the Sierra Nevadas here in California.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

I would also love to try Mont Ventoux.

One day I'd also like to hit the Stelvio, Mortirolo, and also something a lot more accessible to me, which are the Sierra Nevadas here in California.

Ventoux would be nice but I doubt I will be able to get to France anytime soon. Being a California guy I decided to some hill climbing this year, started with the Climb to Kaiser, then the Markleeville Death Ride, and finished up with Mount Diablo (which was not very challenging at all).

I also go in some local ride training rides: Balch Park road loop, about a 15 mile climb with some pretty steep grades on the way up, total distance of 90 miles with 10,000 feet of climbing total; in addition there is the Lodgepole climb into the Sequoia Park, about 8,000 feet of climbing for a 100 mile ride.

Next year in addition to these rides I want to complete the Tour of Two Parks riding up into the Sequoia and returning through King's Canyon - 140 miles and probably about 12,000 feet of climbing.

 

[red_flanders]

I've done the ride to Sunrise on Mt. Rainier a few times, and it's one of my favorites of all time. Long, steady climb. The descent is one of the best ever, with long straights and hard switchbacks breaking them up. It's to different than Europe--in the US National Parks there are of course no villages and nothing but nature on the sides of the roads. Not better or worse for cycling, just different. Highly recommended ride!

I've done St. Helens also in the Tour de Blast which runs in June IIRC. There are 2 summits in that ride, the first (I think) is Coldwater Ridge then you descend sharply and climb Johnson Ridge. Both at less than 5000 ft I think, but both hard climbs. The weather was really cold and damp when I did it and it was a tough ride. Newspaper on the descent!

Never done Crater lake.

One of my favorites is Donner Pass in Tahoe, which is a short, steep climb at altitude that's a heck of a training ride.

I did a writeup of it here: http://cyclingbayarea.wordpress.com/2007/06/03/donner-pass-and-donner-lake-tri-road-course/

 

[maltiv]

Can't remember the name of it, but there's an awesome climb you can do on Madeira. Insane percentages for like 14 km, 10-20% all the way...

I died after like 3 km though, but good climb nonetheless!

 

[franciep10]

without a doubt my favourite climb is Bola del Mundo, its not the most difficult climb that I've ridden but I just feel at peace when I'm on it, plus after you descend I've had a beer with a lot of cyclists like pedro delgado. It is truly amazing and I will be there for the vuelta.

 

[flicker]

try this st. helena the geysers to cloverdale/warmsprings dam skaggs springs road to guala and return. My Guess 13000ft climbing 120 miles. Napa Sonoma county. Many steep walls.

 

[Oldman]

I've done the ride to Sunrise on Mt. Rainier a few times, and it's one of my favorites of all time. Long, steady climb. The descent is one of the best ever, with long straights and hard switchbacks breaking them up. It's to different than Europe--in the US National Parks there are of course no villages and nothing but nature on the sides of the roads. Not better or worse for cycling, just different. Highly recommended ride!


Never done Crater lake.

QUOTE]

Sunrise is gorgeous and so is Crater Lake but it's more scenery than terrain. For terrain it's hard to beat the Geysers climb from Geyserville, Ca back into the Cobb Mtn canyon. Climbs are consistently steep and the descents are technically exciting. Back in the canyon there's nothing but a carved ravine with a cool river and some cattle. Also-Old Cazdero climb to Tin Barn/Skaggs out of Guerneville, Ca. All tough be beautiful; just like the women we love.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

try this st. helena the geysers to cloverdale/warmsprings dam skaggs springs road to guala and return. My Guess 13000ft climbing 120 miles. Napa Sonoma county. Many steep walls.

I have done St Helena to Angwin, down to Pope Valley road and back a few years ago - coming back up from Pope Valley is a short but serious climb (especially since I was running a 39/25 at the time).

 

[pmcg76]

Last year I got to cycle Passo Pordoi from Canazei side, San Pellegrino, Marmolada(Easy side) most of Alpe de Pampeago and the Madonna del Ghisallo from Lombardy.

In France I done Col d'Iozard(Easy side) Alpe d'Huez, Col de Montegenevre. Col du Soulor/Aubisque, Tourmalet, 3/4s of Hautacam.

Can I count Koppenberg or the Muur from Flanders??

I am a rubbish cyclist, even as a cyclo tourist but there are many differing factors in doing climbs I found, level of fitness probably most important but weather, gradient etc play such a role in making any particular climb difficult.

I actually enjoyed Pordoi, even gradient, amazing scenery. Alpe d'Huez was very tough, managed it in 1 hour 15/20 minutes as couldnt figure out official finish. However, the Tourmalet was the toughest, almost 2 hours, very hot day and I had to stop half-way up as thought I was going to explode. Really kicked my *** but I made it.

I cycled Hautacam the day of the Tour stage in 08 and it was amazing getting so much encouragement from all the fans but the police were stopping eveybody a few km from the top so didnt get to go the whole way.

The encouragement I received on the Muur in the Flanders cyclo-sportive was also amazing. The guy in front of me slipped his pedal on the steepest part and I had to do a track stand before rounding him, a spectator came and gave me a push just as I was getting momentum again and it was fantastic. Felt like a pro.

Would love to do all the big climbs in Italy and France.

 

[elapid]

I have done Galibier, but battled with many others getting up the top to watch Vino summit in the 2005 TdF. A friend and I hoping to climb Mt. Ventoux next October from all three approaches. I would love to do Alpe d'Huez and also plan on both the Mt. Ranier (RAMROD) and Tour of the Californian Alps (Death Ride) in either 2010 or 2011. Other than that, I went over a few big passes in the Bicycle Tour of Colorado this year (Grand Mesa, Cottonwood Pass and Independence Pass), but the grades were not that steep, the challenges were the altitude (up to 12,000 feet) and length (up to 50km).

 

[CentralCaliBike]

I have done Galibier, but battled with many others getting up the top to watch Vino summit in the 2005 TdF. A friend and I hoping to climb Mt. Ventoux next October from all three approaches. I would love to do Alpe d'Huez and also plan on both the Mt. Ranier (RAMROD) and Tour of the Californian Alps (Death Ride) in either 2010 or 2011. Other than that, I went over a few big passes in the Bicycle Tour of Colorado this year (Grand Mesa, Cottonwood Pass and Independence Pass), but the grades were not that steep, the challenges were the altitude (up to 12,000 feet) and length (up to 50km).

The Death Ride registration was December 10 (I got a ticket myself) - not sure if there are more available at the moment but I know that there will be plenty of resells the week prior to the ride.

 

[Oldman]

I have done St Helena to Angwin, down to Pope Valley road and back a few years ago - coming back up from Pope Valley is a short but serious climb (especially since I was running a 39/25 at the time).

CCB: Next time continue North on Pope Valley to Ink Grade. Gorgeous little climb that take you to the top of Howell Mtn. via White Cottage Lane. You descend on White Cottage to the Howell Mtn. road and it is very exciting!!! Best of all is the Old Western Mine Road out of Middleton (if you follow Pope Valley North for a much longer ride). Old Western Mine Road is 7 miles of 10%-dirt road with the payoff being an insane, but paved descent down the Ida Clayton road into the valley North of Calistoga. It scares the best pros.
You can't go wrong with almost any direction out of this area as there are few cars and roads that look like a test track for road bikes and crotch rockets.

 

[RTMcFadden]

Bikestyle Tours

Ventoux would be nice but I doubt I will be able to get to France anytime soon.

I suggest that if you get a chance, take a tour, we went with Bikestyle Tours (found them through an ad on this site). It was a really great experience. Our tour guide was Allan Pieper and he told a lot of great stories. In addition, my wife and I spent an afternoon riding around Futurescope (and being lost) with Neil Stephens. He even made me pull over to look at the text message I got from Polar identifying the stage winner. Of course it was Robbie McEwen. I don't care what anybody says, Neil and Allan are both great guys.

On that trip, I rode Ventoux, L'Alpe d'Huez, Col du Soulor and Col d' Aubisque.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

CCB: Next time continue North on Pope Valley to Ink Grade. Gorgeous little climb that take you to the top of Howell Mtn. via White Cottage Lane. You descend on White Cottage to the Howell Mtn. road and it is very exciting!!! Best of all is the Old Western Mine Road out of Middleton (if you follow Pope Valley North for a much longer ride). Old Western Mine Road is 7 miles of 10%-dirt road with the payoff being an insane, but paved descent down the Ida Clayton road into the valley North of Calistoga. It scares the best pros.
You can't go wrong with almost any direction out of this area as there are few cars and roads that look like a test track for road bikes and crotch rockets.

I actually lived at the off of White Cottage road for a few months waiting for the Bar Exam results - mostly stayed on the Silverado trail and up and over and around Howell Mt. and the Berryessa area - great memories from 1991. I never went up north past Calistoga though, it sounds like I should have.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

I suggest that if you get a chance, take a tour, we went with Bikestyle Tours (found them through an ad on this site). It was a really great experience. Our tour guide was Allan Pieper and he told a lot of great stories. In addition, my wife and I spent an afternoon riding around Futurescope (and being lost) with Neil Stephens. He even made me pull over to look at the text message I got from Polar identifying the stage winner. Of course it was Robbie McEwen. I don't care what anybody says, Neil and Allan are both great guys.

On that trip, I rode Ventoux, L'Alpe d'Huez, Col du Soulor and Col d' Aubisque.

Someday, if I get the chance, I think I will act on your suggestion.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

We had a great thread like this a while back. Somebody had mentioned Col de Tende, and I was inspired. My trip to Europe next year is based around doing this climb on the boarder of France and Italy in between Nice and Torino. I think the Giro uses the Italian side, but the French side of the climb is insanity, something like 56 switchbacks, half of it is dirt roads.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

We had a great thread like this a while back. Somebody had mentioned Col de Tende, and I was inspired. My trip to Europe next year is based around doing this climb on the boarder of France and Italy in between Nice and Torino. I think the Giro uses the Italian side, but the French side of the climb is insanity, something like 56 switchbacks, half of it is dirt roads.

I wonder what the ride would be like with only 14 switchbacks???

 

[dolophonic]

We are lucky to have so many great climbs here in California.

 

[dolophonic]

 

[dolophonic]

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

I wonder what the ride would be like with only 14 switchbacks???

Too damn steep for this 180lb flatlander from the mighty No Coast of the Mid West.

 

[dolophonic]

This is Little T, the climb up to Camp 9.
California, we are lucky to have so many great roads to climb.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

Too damn steep for this 180lb flatlander from the mighty No Coast of the Mid West.

For me, going up the steep grades takes time - go down them takes nerves of steel.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

This is Little T, the climb up to Camp 9.
California, we are lucky to have so many great roads to climb.

Which Camp 9?