The Untouched Col

Anyone who skis in Europe will be familiar with the Trois Vallees. This vast region of the French Alps is serviced by several major resorts, all interconnected by a lift system that allows skiers to move from one valley to the next as seamlessly as possible.

When the summer arrives, however, and the snow disappears, only mountain bike and hiking trails connect the resort of Courchevel in the Saint-Bon valley to Meribel in the Allues valley. Or at least, that’s how it used to be.

In the summer of 2019 a road was built over the Col de la Loze, connecting the two ski resorts and creating a brand new playground for road cyclists in the process. Even better, the entire length of the route is closed to motor vehicles, so cyclists can enjoy the smooth, sinuous tarmac without being disturbed by any cars, lorries or lunatics in white vans.

At 2,304m, the Col de la Loze just misses out on a top 10 slot in the French Alpine road hierarchy, but thanks to its car-free status the region’s 11th highest paved col goes straight to the top of Cyclist’s must-do list.

Hot property

It’s not by chance that we are here so soon after the road’s opening. Adrian Hill – Ade to his mates – runs cycling company Alp Cycles in nearby Bozel, and he has been our ‘man on the inside’, keeping a close eye on the new col’s development. The minute it was officially open for business, Ade gave us the signal and we were on the next flight over. Ah, the joys over the pre COVID-19 world.

Thanks to its car-free status the region’s 11th highest paved col goes straight to the top of Cyclist’s must-do list

The sun