Alpe De Huez

[furryduck]

In August i am cycling up the Alpe De Huez just for fun/pleasure and see if i can do it . Anyone out there done it can give me info or advice or any training tips, would be most gratful.
Thanks
Furry Duck

[maillotpois]

It's a great climb. If you can do long (2 hour or so) sustained moderate grade climbs, you should be fine.

It's been 5 years since I did it. As I recall, the lower part was the steepest. Also, the switchbacks themselves were flatter than the parts of the road between switchbacks (which is just the opposite of how it works here - here our roads seem to gain a lot of their elevation on the curves and flatten out a bit in between).

There are GREAT crepes to be had at the top.

[Grog]

There are GREAT crepes to be had at the top.

Doesn't everything get better after a 21 km climb?

To the original poster: I am not sure about August, but do expect temperatures to be lower at the top than at the bottom, as is the case for most hills. You might appreciate armwarmers on the way down...

I was there in late May but didn't get to climb because there was too much snow. The temperature difference as you climb can be significant.

[Caroline]

I did just a couple of weeks ago. I am nowhere near a super cyclist. It was amazing!! I paced myself all the way. Let the boys pass me and had my iPod on SOAD all the way up. Took me just about 1:35 minutes ( my personal Best... hehehe) to the top where I managed to sprint the finish with myself!!!

If you head out that way, go up the Lauretet and the Galibier, 2 cols in 1, amazing vew. I hope to go back again next year. i was staying on Bourg doisans this time around, and the Descent from the Galibier is 50km of Great Fun, down hill all the way!!!!!!!!

Here My bike on the way to the Galibier, I had to take photo.