- Ascent
- 277 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 3.4 km
- max. gradient
- 13 %
- ø gradient
- 8.1 %
The Lacets de Montvernier from Pontamafrey are a category 3 climb of 3.4 km with 277 m of elevation gain at an average of 8.1 %, peaking at 13 %. The road climbs from the Maurienne valley up to Montvernier at 768 m. It is the shortest climb in our list, and the second half is the steepest.
Retro Vibes: 100 Climbs Edition DIN A1 poster
Bucket-List Print: Lacets de Montvernier
The Lacets de Montvernier are the shortest climb in our list. From Pontamafrey in the Maurienne valley it is just 3.4 kilometres and 277 metres of climbing up to Montvernier at 768 metres. But the 8.1 % average shows that short does not mean easy. It is a climb you finish quickly, provided you pace it right.
The Lacets de Montvernier at a glance
The key figures from Pontamafrey: category 3, 3.4 km, 277 m of climbing, 8.1 % on average and 13 % at its steepest. The road leaves the floor of the Maurienne valley at Pontamafrey and climbs the slope up to the village of Montvernier at 768 m. It is the only category 3 climb in our list. In our list the Lacets belong to the Western Alps region.
The climb from Pontamafrey
The first half is the gentler one: the first kilometre sits at around 5 %, the second at just under 7 %. That is enough to warm up, but not much more. Because the whole climb is so short, there is no time to settle in slowly. The gradient picks up noticeably after the halfway point.
The second half averages around 10 % and is clearly the harder part. There are no easier stretches here up to Montvernier. So the climb ends exactly where it is steepest. Anyone who went too fast in the first half will feel it on the last kilometre and a half.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
In our list the Lacets are the smallest climb in almost every respect: none is shorter, only one has less elevation gain, and only five finish lower than 768 m. In the Western Alps they are the smallest of the 30 on all three counts. The gradient, however, is serious: only 19 climbs are steeper on average than their 8.1 %. The Col du Noyer has a very similar average at 8.5 %, but spreads it over 6.3 kilometres, almost twice as far.
Practical tips
The Lacets are best ridden as part of a longer ride through the Maurienne, on their own they are over quickly. A compact gearing is enough for the 13 % peak. Save something for the second half, because that is where the gradient sits. If you do not carry on from Montvernier, roll back down to the Maurienne valley on the same road.
