Druges from Fénis

I climbed via the easier route from Saint Marcel and then descended down this route. The climb from Fenis is almost exactly 1000 m including the top section that is shared with the route from San Marcel, or about 850m if you exclude that part (which is slightly less steep).
I don’t think I would’ve stood much chance of being able to make it up this way! Even the descent was pretty gruelling. I had to stop multiple times to rest my wrists, hands and shoulders. The gradient hardly ever went below 7％, and for most of the time was between 10 and 15％ with a max of at least 20％ on some of the steeper hairpins. It’s a stunning ride tho with endless hairpins through a cool shady forest, so at least in terms of temperature it’s pretty much ideal. As I only went down this way it’s hard to say what the views were like going up, but the whole area is magnificent and the views on the ascent from St Marcel are superb.
The road surface is not great and the road is quite narrow but that’s less of an issue ascending. As I got to the bottom, I saw a local kid begin the climb going full tilt out of the saddle. A salutary reminder of just how shit I am. But on the other hand I do have the excuse of old age 😂.
I think if you are fit then climbing up this way, and then descending via the St Marcel route would make more sense than doing it the way I did it. This is on the basis that generally speaking, steep up and shallow down, makes more sense than the other way round. Also you then get the benefit of the cooler forest ride up and the warmer sunny ride down. Plus the road to St Marcel is wider and in a slightly better condition, so it makes sense to descend that way.
One other brilliant feature about this ride (which ever way you do it) is that it is virtually car free., on the way up from St Marcel, I was passed by perhaps half a dozen cars. And on the descent to Fenis, I didn’t see a single car.
A brilliant climb which ever way you do it. Apologies for the absence of photos, but my useless iPhone doesn’t seem to have any way of reducing them from 1000 GB down to some sensible size 😩