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Col de la Ramaz
The Col de la Ramaz is situated in Rhone-Alpes. This climb belongs to the Alps. The Col de la Ramaz via Taninges is ranked number 749 of the Alps. The climb is ranked number 408 in France and number 1970 in the world. Starting from Taninges, the Col de la Ramaz ascent is 16 kilometers long. Over this distance, you climb 970 meters in height. The average percentage thus is 6.1 percent.
Another Tour classic this time with beautiful views of Mont Blanc from the mountain pastures of the Praz de Lys.
The favored approach for this ascent is to climb out of the small town of Mieussy situated on the D907, the Vallee Verte and follow the road for a further 14 kilometers at an average gradient of 7 percent.
The Pass
Initially the road is of the classic switch back hairpin corner variety rising up through housing (think picturesque chalet style not housing estate!) and onwards through the meadows where your pedaling effort will be accompanied by the Alpine cow bells. The lower slopes offer glimpses of the spectacular rock faces that the higher road bisects on its journey to the ski resort of Sommand. The Ponte de Marcelly and its iron cross towering above you on the right and the Col de Foron and the Haute Pointe to your left. The road is painted with the names of the supporters favorites in the tour, it’s easy to imagine riding through a wall of spectators characterizing the climb when the Tour visits.
The upper slopes, approaching the avalanche tunnels and immediately after, are the steepest but not quite in the league of the Col de Joux Plane. At this point there is an unfortunate combination of gradient and terrible road surface conspiring to impede your progress. The latter a result of the freeze thaw effect of winter when these slopes will be covered in a meters of snow and ice.
Scenery
Take a look over the edge at the tunnels for an appreciation of how much height you have gained since leaving Mieussy; it’s a great vertigo inducing view. Upon reaching the ski station of Sommand, indicated by a wide open meadow like bowl and its ski lifts, the gradient slackens considerable as you traverse around the edge of this beginner ski area before negotiating the final push to the summit at 1619 meters.
In terms of duration the climb is similar to the Joux Plane taking a fit rider pushing hard around 50 minutes of effort. A steadier tempo would see the same rider over the top in 65-70 minutes. The climb is easier than the Joux Plane in that it’s possible for a fit rider to cruise up the climb without necessarily making lung bursting efforts just to keep moving.
The decent drops fairly steady and straight into the ski resort of Praz-de-Lys. None the less the road is superfast a little bumpy and narrow before widening and flattening out through the resort itself. It’s an eerie place in the summer, the ski lifts standing idle as you rush by underneath. Leaving the ski area marks the start of the steepest section of the decent braking hard into classic switch backs followed by gravity assisted accelerations to the next corner.
Don’t leave all your effort on the climb as the descent brings you out on the D902 at the Pont des Gets from where you have a 20 minute climb into the resort of Les Gets, fortunately this is followed by a 5 kilometers drop into Morzine itself.
The last time Le Tour visited this climb in 2003 it saw the riders leave Lyon and head towards Geneva before tackling the Col de la Ramaz, with the stage finish in Morzine for the not inconsiderable distance of 226 kilometers. The darling of the French Richard Virenque led the race home after some 6 hours in the saddle.
