Col de la Bonnette - anyone done it?

[Jimmy Doug]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of staying in France this summer and taking in a few big'uns - and you can't get much bigger in Europe than this one (including the Cime de la Bonnette, naturally). Which is the best way to approach it - from Jausiers or Saint Etienne? By 'best' I mean which is the prettiest rather than which is the easiest. It seems that some people regard Saint Etienne as the harder route. Is it really harder?

Cheers

 

[Globalti]

Ye gods, that looks a terrible, exposed, windswept kind of place. What a strange arrangement of the roads at the col as well. Better have your wits about you, not befuddled by lack of oxygen and take the wrong road!

TBH it looks just as bad from any direction; I would try to take it with the prevailing wind.

 

[addictfreak]

A little about it here, unfortunately only mentions one route

http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?qryMountainID=6061

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Ye gods, that looks a terrible, exposed, windswept kind of place. What a strange arrangement of the roads at the col as well. Better have your wits about you, not befuddled by lack of oxygen and take the wrong road!

TBH it looks just as bad from any direction; I would try to take it with the prevailing wind.

Yes indeedy - this is one mother of a mountain! But I want to do it now and 'bag it' until I get too old - whenever that is. Your point about the wind is a good one - I had neglected that factor! The area is often buffeted by the Mistral and could be awful from the south.

 

[Dave Davenport]

We did it from St.Etienne a few years ago. Lovely route, fantastic views and not too busy even in August. I think they only built the extra loop around the summit so they could claim the highest pass tag. It's fairly easy gradients (5 - 8%) until the last mile or so, it's just a bloody long climb.

 

[Globalti]

Oh, it's just a loop?

*back to Google maps for another look*

 

[thom]

Another write up : http://www.cycling-challenge.com/col-de-la-bonette-col-de-la-moutiere-loop/
The guy goes up it twice in a day (near enough). I've driven up from the south - would love to cycle up properly.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Another write up : http://www.cycling-challenge.com/col-de-la-bonette-col-de-la-moutiere-loop/
The guy goes up it twice in a day (near enough). I've driven up from the south - would love to cycle up properly.

Thanks for this. Really useful information. Still haven't decided which side to go up, though ....