Ascent to La Plagne

Altitude 2112 m 
Massifs de la Vanoise 
Département Savoie

Summary

• Plan your La Plagne bike climb
• Cycling up La Plagne from Aime
• Description of the ascent of La Plagne by bike from Aime
• Tips for preparing to climb La Plagne
• Weather conditions for the La Plagne climb
• Recommended equipment for climbing La Plagne
• Services on the La Plagne ascent
• Access to the La Plagne ascent
• Testimonials
• FAQ

We're not on a Route des Grandes Alpes ® but on a climb well worth the detour. Like the col de la Loze, between Courchevel and Méribel, this climb is accessible from the Bourg-Saint-Maurice - Saint-François-Longchamp variant route. 19.1 km at 7.2%, 24 bends, 5 Tour de France stage finishes, well worth a little extension and extra effort.

Start: Aime-la-Plagne (661 m) 
Distance: 20 km 
Altitude: 2112 m 
Elevation: 1451 m 
Average gradient: 7.5% 
Maximum gradient: 9% (over a few hundred metres) 
Tour de France rating: hors catégorie 
 

Cycling up La Plagne from Aime (rounded)

• At 7 km/h: 2 hr 50
• At 11 km/h: 1 hr 50
• At 15 km/h: 1 hr 20
• At 19 km/h: 1 hr 05

Course map of the La Plagne bike climb from Aime

First question: where do we go? Because in La Plagne there are many villages, and therefore many destinations. We suggest you go up to Plagne Villages, at an altitude of 2112 meters. Because it's the highest point and because it's the finish of the 2025 Tour de France stage.

And where do we start from? From the Avenue Verte de Tarentaise, a pleasant, shady greenway leading to Aime, your starting point. From there, your first objective will be Mâcot-la-Plagne, just over a kilometer and a half away. 6% to warm you up!

If you're on Route des Grandes Alpes®, as you enter Macôt look out for the D88 on your right. When you come down and resume your journey towards Moutiers and the Col de la Madeleine, don't miss it! This little balcony road, which takes you to Notre-Dame-du-Pré via the Col du Tra (1305 m), will save you most of the busy N90 at the bottom of the valley.

After Mâcot-la-Plagne, the well-maintained road becomes wide and straightens abruptly. It's quite hard, up to 8.5%, but very steady, allowing you to pace your effort for a short dozen kilometers.

A long sequence, marked by an impressive first series of 12 tight switchbacks. Between meadows, mountain pastures and stretches of undergrowth, there are few villages or hamlets, apart from Les Villards-de-Mâcot and Prariond. Nice views, towards the Beaufortain to distract you a bit.

From Prariond the switchbacks widen, following the course of the Ruisseau de l'Arc. Pass the Chalet de la Roche, a restaurant at the foot of the bobsleigh track built for the Albertville Olympics, then two new bends that take you to Plangagnant (1600 m).

Pass the bobsleigh track, you have 1000 meters of D+ behind you. Be careful though, you're at an altitude of 1700 metres and there's still almost 4000 metres at 7% to swallow to reach the La Plagne traffic circle at 1966 metres.

There, at the entrance to the resort, you take the direction of Plagne Villages. There are then around 2.5 km of uneven slopes: 4 to 9% (only 350 meters). The summit, which marks the end of your ascent, is at the parking lot (2112 m).

Congratulate yourself, you've just climbed one of the toughest resort climbs in the Northern Alps!

If you're here for a dry climb, are well trained and in good physical shape, it's going to go very well. If you're committed to the Route des Grandes Alpes® variant between Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Saint-Longchamps, via the col de la Madeleine, it's going to be a long day. After all, we're talking about almost 3,500 metres of ascent. But, if you've made the detour to La Plagne, it's because you've got the legs!

Our advice:

• On a climb that's certainly difficult, but never reaches 10% and offers a steady climb, don't overdo the "en danseuse" position. You'll lose less energy sitting on your saddle and ultimately be more efficient. And above all, ride at your own pace.
• Don't take an inside track on the steepest switchbacks.
• Don't wait until the last moment to change gear.
• Don't cut corners! If you don't have one, buy a heart rate monitor. Anything that keeps you out of the red zone is a good idea.
• To set off on Route des Grandes Alpes®, its variants and extras, ask our partners Vélorizons, LaRébenne and Belle Allure. These travel agencies are experts in bicycle travel. Luggage transfer, accommodation booking, guiding, bike rentals, they know how to do it all!
   

As one of the biggest international resorts, the road up to La Plagne is, by definition, almost always passable. Depending on the weather and snow conditions, you can set off between mid-March and the end of October. But try to avoid the big weekends when the ski season is busy!

Weather in La Plagne: meteofrance

To find out when to set off on Route des Grandes Alpes ® 
 

We're going to repeat a little of what we said for the col de la Loze. Being close to civilization doesn't mean you can't get cold, or hot, or stormy. Equip yourself accordingly. 
As this is a demanding climb, it's a good time to remember that a smaller crankset and a wider-ratio cassette allow you to increase pedaling cadence and make the climb more comfortable.

From the very bottom, in Aime, at the bottom of the Tarentaise valley to the very top, in the highest villages of La Plagne, you'll find everything you need for eating, drinking, sleeping, recharging your electric bike and more. La Plagne doesn't belong to the world's top resorts for nothing!les-Bains (73)

• Bourg-Saint-Maurice (73)

Road access

• N90 in the Tarentaise Valley, to Aime.
• D221 (route de La Plagne) up to La Plagne resort.

 

Those who have done it say it best!

 

With no testimonials available, we chose to quote Laurent Fignon, twice winner at La Plagne and twice winner of the Tour de France.

From beginning to end, whether people liked me or not, whether they were impressed by my exploits or not, whether they saw or refused to see in me an exceptional champion, I remained Laurent Fignon. Nothing but Laurent Fignon. Me and nothing else. Neither a fantasy nor a transposition. Just a man who did everything he could to make his way towards dignity and emancipation. To be a man. Laurent Fignon

 

FAQ

What is the name of the huge ski area that runs from the Alps to La Plagne? 
Paradiski! This area, created in 2023 with the inauguration of the Vanoise Express cable car, comprises the resorts of La Plagne, Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry, Villaroger, Montchavin, Les Coches, Montalbert and Champagny-en-Vanoise. A total of 425 km of pistes!

How many Tour de France stage finishes have been judged at the end of the La Plagne climb?
Five finishes, including the one scheduled for 2025 (Albertville - La Plagne). Note that two of them, in 1984 and 1987, were won by Frenchman Laurent Fignon.

What do the La Plagne climb and the climb up the Alpe d'Huez have in common? 
Both offer 21 turns and both are very demanding climbs, requiring perfect physical fitness.

When does the Grimpée de La Plagne take place?
The Grimpée de La Plagne is a dry climb on open roads from Aime, in the Tarentaise valley, to Plagne Centre (18 km, 1300 m D+). The 2025 edition is scheduled for July 12, thirteen days before the Tour de France. More information

Places to visit near the Col du Galibier

Variante Bourg-Saint-Maurice / Saint-François-Longchamp

Haute-Tarentaise Vanoise

Variante Lescheraines / Beaufort-dur-Doron