Vaudagne and Servoz

It had been raining all day and waiting for the right time to ride seemed impossible.  I decided to go for a shorter ride and at least get some miles in.  This time I headed the other direction through the valley towards St. Gervais.  I learned from my experience south of London that it's best not to just map out the route or you may end up next to semi-trucks that aren't so tolerant.  It's a pretty easy shot from Chamonix to St. Gervais in a car or on the train, but in order to avoid the freeway (and railroad) the route will take you more of a round-about way.  Perfect.  No complaints here.

The route from Chamonix to Vaudagne leaves you tucked up along the foothills of Mont-Blanc.  There is a little bit of a climb on a road less travelled which was just fine.  Plenty of good covering made it feel a little like climbing Millcreek Canyon, albeit a shorter distance.  I knew I was near the top when I could see various numbers painted on the road and a nice "arrivee" with a solid line across.  I assumed it was part of a hill climb time trial that started up the other side and finished where I was. 

I found a nice overlook.  You can see houses along the side of the hill that make up Vaudagne, with Servoz at the very bottom further in the distance.  I love a site like this.  In a good 15-20 minutes I know I get to turn around and climb up it.  On the map (below) you can see the various switchbacks along the way.

Church in Servoz.  Note the little clearing on the hillside behind the church.  There is a house up there with sheep grazing.  I don't know how anyone could stand on their feet at the grade.

Route and Elevation:


Climbing from Les Houches to Vaudagne is a quick 1.4 miles at 4% (Cat 4), but the real climb is from Servoz to through Vaudagne.  That's closer to 3.5 miles at 5% (Cat 2) with a lot of switchbacks up through the area.  It has its share of potholes, about the same as the Microwave Tower in Usery Pass.

A fun little ride to get in a quick little climb.

-ML