| 5 hairpin turns |
| #37 toughest climb of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| #56 most elevation gain of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| #91 longest climb of Provence |
| #30 average steepest climb of Alpes-Maritimes |
Madone de Fenestre from Saint Martin de Vésubie is a climb in the region Alpes-Maritimes. It is 12.5km long and bridges 939 vertical meters with an average gradient of 7.5%, resulting in a difficulty score of 839. The top of the ascent is located at 1904 meters above sea level. Climbfinder users shared 1 review/story of this climb and uploaded 14 photos.
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A little adventure in itself! First of all, the locals will tell you that the road is closed, cut off and impassable...
In reality, it's a carefree climb up to the EDF dam, which stood up as best it could to storm Alex in 2020.
Then, at km 7, the going gets really tough. We go over real gravel for almost two kilometres. The whole road has been washed away.
It's very stony. I rode with 4-season Continental 23s, so it's perfectly possible. But, for short stretches, it's really riding in trial mode.
Then, the road becomes very decent again.
In short, it's doable on a road bike, but still difficult.
The scars of the storm of 2020 are everywhere. The road, the forest, the Vésubie are all scarred. Deeply.
When you see the size of the blocks of stone that have been swept away, you feel very small.
Uprooted trees everywhere, gaping wounds that have caused the forest to bleed.
It's hard to imagine the quiet valley of yesteryear.
The gradients are steep. And very uneven. There's even a short downhill section.
At the top, the scenery is powerful.
The wind is not to be outdone. With the road closed to cars, the area is wild.
A few walkers venture up there.
There are no more construction machines. It's an abandoned road. A forgotten pass. It deserves so much better!
Personally, I loved this pass!
Une petite aventure en soi ! D’abord, les autochtones vous diront que la route est fermée, coupée et impraticable…
En réalité, on monte sans souci jusqu’au barrage EDF qui a résisté comme il a pu à la tempête Alex de 2020.
Ensuite, au km7, ça se corse singulièrement. On passe sur du vrai gravel pendant près de deux kilomètres. La route toute entière a été emportée.
C’est très caillouteux. Je suis monté avec des Continental 4 saisons en 23, donc, c’est tout à fait possible. Mais, sur de courts passages, c’est vraiment du pilotage en mode trial.
Puis, la route redevient très convenable.
Bref, faisable en vélo de route, mais tout de même difficile.
Partout, les cicatrices de la tempête de 2020. La route, la forêt, la Vésubie sont marquées. Profondément.
Quand on voit la taille des blocs de pierre qui ont été charriés, on se sent tout petit.
Partout des arbres déracinés, partout des plaies béantes ont fait saigner la forêt.
On peine à imaginer la vallée calme d’autrefois.
Les pourcentages sont costauds. Et surtout très inégaux. On a même droit à un petit tronçon de descente.
En haut, les paysages sont puissants.
Le vent n’est pas en reste. La route étant barrée aux voitures, la zone est bien sauvage.
Quelques marcheurs s’aventurent là haut.
Il n’y a plus d’engins de chantier. C’est une route abandonnée. Un col oublié. Il mérite tellement mieux !
Personnellement, j’ai adoré ce col !
| 7 km/h | 01:46:52 |
| 11 km/h | 01:08:00 |
| 15 km/h | 00:49:52 |
| 19 km/h | 00:39:22 |
