Climbing the Monte du Semnoz and … the Secret of Climbing Cols!

Are you ready to learn the secret of climbing cols? OK, here goes … there is no secret. Sorry. I wish there was a secret to get us magically and easily up a mountain, but in reality it’s all about the legs, experience, confidence, patience and nutrition. 

Oh wait, there might be a secret after all … an eBike! I think someone riding one passed me today on the way up to the Montee (mountain) du Semnoz. Everyone else who passed me was on a regular bike. There were a lot of people riding up this mountain today; it’s a very popular cycling challenge and destination. More on this mountain later, but first …

I know it’s a bit presumptuous of me to claim to be an expert at climbing cols, but I think I’ve learned a few things over the years, so here goes …

Legs: There’s no substitute for putting in the work and the miles. I rode just over 4,000 miles before I got to Annecy. But here’s the rub: They were almost all in and around Columbus, Ohio. Otherwise known as the flatlands. No mountains and very few hills. To get in a little climbing work, I’d head to a local hill and do repeats, up and down the damn hill 20 or more times. Sounds impressive, right? Not so much. The hill is about three-tenths of a mile long with a gradient of 3 or 4 percent. On a 40-mile ride I could get in about 1,500 feet of climbing. Oh well, off I go to Annecy where I’ll rely on …

Experience: I think I really began to understand and enjoy climbing all the way back in 1995. I had already done a couple French cycling trips by this point, but this was the year and the trip I discovered Mont Ventoux. From the base town of Bedoin, it’s a 21.2-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 7.5 percent. I knew nothing about the Ventoux, but at dinner, the night before, someone told me about it, and I decided I had to climb the Ventoux not knowing what I was getting myself into. Sometimes, ignorance can be your friend. Since the Ventoux, on cycling trips, I’ve sought out mountains. I love the challenge and the views on the way up and from the summits. And the more mountains you climb the more experience you gain, about what gear to be in, your cadence, your bonking threshold, what 8 percent feels like, what 100 percent feels like. And the more mountains you climb the more you gain …

Confidence: I have a friend I rode with in Pelotonia (a fundraising bike event) and there was this one nasty climb, Reynolds Road, he just couldn’t do. He’s a strong enough cyclist to make it, but he lacked confidence. I could see it in his face as we approached the start of the climb and after 100 meters or so he’d clip out and start walking. Confidence is a powerful weapon in your cycling arsenal. 

And today, I needed experience and confidence. The ride was actually two consecutive cols, first was the Col de Leschaux, which was 12 kilometers with an average gradient of 4 percent. It was actually kinda easy. And there were some great views back down to thje lake and then the valley. When you get to Leschaux, the next climb starts: The Montee du Semnoz. The signs says: “After warming up on the Col de Leschaux your legs will be in perfect shape to tackle the steeper ascent to the Semnoz.”

It’s a 13-kilometer climb with an average gradient of about 6 percent, with several 7-percent kilometers along the way. And two 8-percent kilometers just before the summit. Here’s the thing about an 8-percent kilometer: that’s the average. So there can and are 9-percent and 10-percent sections along the way. You can definitely feel a 1-percent difference. And it’s a lot more than 1-percent harder.

I was struggling, but felt confident I’d make it if I just remembered …

Patience: There’s always a tendency to want to go a little faster. Just a little faster. To end all this strenuous work. I was gonna use the word “suffering” instead of “strenuous work,” but one cyclist’s idea of suffering is another cyclist’s idea of fun. I think I might enjoy suffering, but perhaps not as much as I did a few years ago, but I do still enjoy it. “Take your time,” I tell myself. “Enjoy the view, you’ll get there when you get there.” Patience really is a virtue when climbing and is a powerful weapon to keep you going. I’m not patient by nature so this is always a struggle for me. 

I thought I had one kilometer (an 8-percenter) to go to the summit of the Semnoz. And there it was, a giant white chalet way, way up there that looked like it just had to be the summit. Nope. There was still another kilometer to go after the chalet. I gritted my teeth, reminded myself I could do it if I took my time and … made it. 

Remember how I said the view from the top makes the climb worthwhile? Well, not today, it was overcast and cloudy at the summit. Here was the view …

Oh well, I was up here in 2022 and can remember the view. I stopped and rested for a bit and ate a bar and apple and sucked down some water because …

Nutrition: This is my weak spot. I struggle to eat and drink enough on climbs. It’s hard to drink from your water bottle while riding uphill and even harder to unwrap something and eat it. And so, today, I stopped three times, on flatter sections (so it would be easier to clip back in and get going again) and ate and drank. I think it made a difference.

And then it was time to …

Descend: I’m a very mediocre descender and three or four cyclists flew by me on the downhill. My Strava was in my pocket, so I had no idea how fast I was going. 35 miles per hour? 40 on that one long, straight section? Nope. Later Strava told me I topped out at 30.6 miles per hour. That’s more than enough speed for me. Use your own judgement when you descend, but please be careful and stay within your limits.