Top 10 mountains you must climb before you die

[El Imbatido]

Ok, before there is widespread panic, the answer to the first question is: no, i am not dieing. But today in the reality of real life, someone mentioned to me the "100 films you must see before you die" (or whatever it is called, something close to that i believe) so i thought well for us cycling nuts what are the "top 10 climbs/mountain passes you should do before you die."

Myself personally, i havent done any, but im only a wippersnapper at 20. So plenty of time to save some dough, get more cycling experience, invest in a ball and chain (aka a Mrs El Imbatido: still searching though for anyone interested) and eventually settle down. But back to the question at hand......What are the essential climbs any cycling nut should do. I have a few i'd like to tackle. Although this is not my list....only some thoughts so far.

Ones id definetely like to do:
Mt Ventoux
Alto d'Angliru
Mortirolo
Stelvio
Galibier
Alpe d'huez
Gavia
Toramalet
Aubisque and last but definetely not least
Zoncolan (from either side it is a bitch

So what would be your climbs?

 

[BroDeal]

So what would be your climbs?

Ama Dablam
Olympus Mons

 

[slightlytarnished]

Ventoux
Alpe d"Huez
Galibier
Col d'Izoard
Tourmalet
Stelvio
Col d'Aubisque
Col de Portet
Mt Washington
Everest Base Camp

Sorry most of these are in Europe, but that is where I cycle and these are the hills I know.

 

[Big Ring]

Ones id definetely like to do:
Mt Ventoux
Alto d'Angliru
Mortirolo
Stelvio
Galibier
Alpe d'huez
Gavia
Toramalet
Aubisque and last but definetely not least
Zoncolan (from either side it is a bitch

So what would be your climbs?

Have ridden some of these. Not Zoncolan, Mortirolo or
Stelvio.

You should add Luz Ardiden, a nice climb and a tour classic. But it is the decent that is brilliant. The best there is. Great surface, wide road, no traffic and 27 switchbacks plus a long straight section in the middle where you can do 80kmph +.

 

[egtalbot]

For me there are four:

Mont Ventoux
Alto d'Angliru
Mount Washington
Passo di Gavia in a snowstorm

 

[Zen Master]

1. Passo del Mortirolo
2. Alto de l'Angliru
3. Monte Zoncolan
4. Alpe d"Huez
5. Xorret de Cati
6. Plan de Corones
7. Passo Gavia
8. Mont Ventoux
9. Passo dello Stelvio
10.Scanuppia

 

[El Loto]

Olympus Mons

Take a while but be worth it.

 

[Eva Maria]

I have done most of those on the list, but the best one is not there.

Haleakala on Maui. 10,000 feet of fun.

 

[mistahsinclair]

I have done most of those on the list, but the best one is not there.

Haleakala on Maui. 10,000 feet of fun.

I lived on Oahu for a few years and it was only after I left that it occured to me that I should've hopped over to Maui to ride Haleakala...similarly I lived in WA state and didn't go to ride Mt Baker!

Now I'm in LA and there are NO mountains, so I can't miss out on anything!

 

[tretow95]

1.Ventoux
2.Puy de Dome
3.Monte Grappa
4.Stelvio
5.Bormio
6.Angliru
7.Pico Veleta
8.El teide
9.Zoncolan
10.La Linea

 

[elapid]

I hope to ride some of the French Alps soon, but some mainland US flavour in addition to Mount Washington:

- Grand Mesa
- Independence Pass
- Cottonwood Pass

 

[CentralCaliBike]

... Now I'm in LA and there are NO mountains, so I can't miss out on anything!

Drive up to Fresno next year sign up for the Climb 2 Kaiser. You will get 13,000 feet of elevation between miles 23 and 99 - after that it is pretty much all down hill.

 

[8 Seconds]

Drive up to Fresno next year sign up for the Climb 2 Kaiser. You will get 13,000 feet of elevation between miles 23 and 99 - after that it is pretty much all down hill.

Sounds like a good ride!! But by LA I think he meant Louisiana. Not Los
Angeles. Just a guess though.

 

[Eva Maria]

I lived on Oahu for a few years and it was only after I left that it occured to me that I should've hopped over to Maui to ride Haleakala...similarly I lived in WA state and didn't go to ride Mt Baker!

Now I'm in LA and there are NO mountains, so I can't miss out on anything!

LA= Los Angeles or LA= Louisiana?

I rode in the French alps with some guys from New Orleans one time. Their largest climb was a overpass but these guys could climb......and drink!

 

[CentralCaliBike]

Sounds like a good ride!! But by LA I think he meant Louisiana. Not Los
Angeles. Just a guess though.

I was wondering why no mountains - I thought there were a few around Los Angeles

 

[180mmCrank]

How about the "Col de Stokenchurch" a classic of the Chilterns!

 

[bhilden]

Some very big climbs, others for historical perspective:

Haleakala (Maui - Hawaii)
Pico La Valeta (Granada - Spain)
El Roque de los Muchachos (Las Palmas - Canary Islands)
Pico do Arieiro - south side (Madeira)
Mount Evans (Colorado)
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Stelvio Pass - north side (Italy)
Mont Ventoux - from Bedoin (France)
l'Alpe d'Huez (France)
Monte Zoncolan - west side (Italy)

Bruce

 

[Deagol]

I hope to ride some of the French Alps soon, but some mainland US flavour in addition to Mount Washington:

- Grand Mesa
- Independence Pass
- Cottonwood Pass

Grand Mesa: done from the north side
Independence Pass: done from the east side
Cottonwood Pass: done from the east side (west side is dirt washboard)

Others in CO
Mt Evans: done many times.
Trail Ridge Road: done both sides
Red Mountain Pass: done both sides
Wolf Creek Pass: done from east
Coal Bank Pass/Molas Pass: done both sides





Want to do (Europe): Stelvio in Italy
Alpe D' Huez, Galibier, Algliru, etc .......

 

[elapid]

Grand Mesa: done from the north side
Independence Pass: done from the east side
Cottonwood Pass: done from the east side (west side is dirt washboard)

I have done them in the opposite direction. The dirt road up Cottonwood Pass was actually quite decent other than the torrential rain turning the road into mud and the freezing temperatures. But I enjoyed the ride immensely. The climb from the south side of the Grand Mesa is actually the second longest in North America at approximately 50 km. Descending the other side of Grand Mesa was a blast: 36 km in 30 minutes. I don't think I turned the pedals once.

 

[Deagol]

The dirt road up Cottonwood Pass was actually quite decent other than the torrential rain turning the road into mud and the freezing temperatures. .

Hmm, I wonder if it depend on the time of year? In the summer, there can be a lot of recreational traffic. I would imagine it would be better after it was graded. In any case, nice pass. Did not know that about Grand Mesa's South Side. Quite a climb from Delta I guess ......

 

[Inch Worm]

You should add Luz Ardiden, a nice climb and a tour classic. But it is the decent that is brilliant. The best there is. Great surface, wide road, no traffic and 27 switchbacks plus a long straight section in the middle where you can do 80kmph +.

Unless you flash around a bend and are faced with a herd of slow-moving, ambivalent goats. They graze around the same part of the climb where Lance hit that bag.

 

[Inch Worm]

Of those climbs I've done, here are the 10 must do climbs:

1. Ventoux (epic and famous)
2. Alpe d'Huez (epic and famous and usually packed with riders)
3. Mortirolo west (just to see if you can get up it)
4. Cormet de Roselend east (beautiful)
5. Telegraph-Galibier (famous, hard and high)
6. Gruppo Sella (4 climbs really, but all in a 60km loop. STUNNING!)
7. Izoard south (tough, the desert, the obelisk)
8. Bonette (2,850m marmottes everywhere, no other people)
9. Koppenberg (only a few hundred meters long but maybe the most famous Classics climb along with the Muur?)
10. Hotham (in Oz - 31km long, iconic snow gums, final 10km brutal. I know a chap who has ridden hundreds of climbs around the world, and he ranks this among the toughest 5!)

For me, Stelvio and Iseran are the two big climbs I still have to do that would probably make my list.

 

[Anonymous]

Ventoux will do me... One is enough..

I did manage to take the bike up the stupid cobbled hill by our house today, no idea what the gradient was, i guess in the 15's somewhere but only about 50 metres long.. people where looking at me like i was nuts.. my own little private tour of flanders

edit: found a pic..

 

[runninboy]

Dimspace, you are my new idol, that is a great looking climb & photo.
I used to live in Surrey, between Upper Warlingham & Caterham and there was this great hill you had to climb to get to the shops. It had a sign
"NO CYCLISTS" It was either Succombs Hill or Bug hill dont remember
but it was about 20% for a good quarter mile. You would never know unless you lived there. England is so great, you come around the corner and a huge climb stares back at you.
Thanks again for sharing.

 

[Anonymous]

just had a text from our buddy neil...

****** has just climbed alpe d'huez.. :/ 1h31, stopped a few times, last 4k hell according to him and the descent was "f***** outrageous".. hes sat in bourg d'oisans with leg cramps..

wed been wondering why he wasnt in paris this year...