Home Destinations France Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesCol de la Madeleine

Hard

Cycling

🇫🇷 France

Satellite

This track was identified and mapped via high-resolution satellite imagery.

ID: FR-ARA-21

Col de la Madeleine

Added on 10 Oct 2026

Logged by @trailx

Col de la Madeleine (1,993 m) is one of the great Tour de France climbs. The classic side starts in La Chambre: 19.0 km at an average 8.0%, gaining 1,522 m. Hors catégorie every time since 1995. First Tour appearance: 1969 (about 28 times). Richard Virenque was first over three years running (1995–97).

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Season: Early June to November. Carry a windproof layer for the descent, enough water and food for the climb, and check road status before you go. Descend with care: these are open roads shared with cars and motorbikes.

Mission Logs48 waypoints

Distance	Direction & Instruction	Gradient
0.0 km	N Start Point	0%
0.5 km	NW Continue on track	-1%
1.0 km	N Terrain Change	6%
1.5 km	NE Continue on track	8%
2.0 km	NE Steep Ascent	11%

Note: Gear suggestions are based on terrain gradient and are for reference only.

Weather check

At Start

472m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

45.3576, 6.3010

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 45.3576, 6.3010 @ 472m

Quick Stats

Distance

19.92 km

Type

Cycling Sector

Elevation Range

470m - 1975m

Max Elevation

1975 m

Max Gradient

26.9%

1.1%

Highlights

Ride the La Chambre side, the way the Tour climbs it
Top out at 1,993 m
Richard Virenque was first over three years running (1995–97)
Hors catégorie every time since 1995
Ride a climb from the 2025 Tour de France

Field Radio Protocol

VHF-UHF Communication

Signal Verified

Emergency Simplex

146.520MHz

Team Coordination

446.006MHz

Scout Primary

146.400MHz

Propagation Telemetry

Ridge Line

92%

Gorge Floor

18%

Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range

Regulatory Compliance

VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.

Technical Analysis

Total Ascent

+1503 m

Total Descent

-4 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).

0 (Smooth)50 (Steep)100+ (Extreme)

75.7

Tortuosity Index

Route Curviness Index

Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).

1.0 (Direct)2.0 (Winding)3.0+ (Serpentine)

1.92

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)7%

Moderate (3-8%)10%

Steep (>8%)83%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved99%

Unpaved1%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt

99%

Dirt Track

Water Crossings

Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.

Difficulty Analysis

SCORE: 61

Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.

Resulting CategoryHard

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 45.357605

MAX LAT: 45.434793

MIN LON: 6.296829

MAX LON: 6.375410

Point Spacing: 14.7 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

Reviews & Discussion0

Expedition notes, route modifications, and surface updates shared by the community.

Log Expedition Notes

You must be signed in to contribute reviews

Authenticate Identity

Be the first to review

No reviews registered for this technical sector yet. Share your experience, surface observations, or gear recommendations!

Plan this trip

Before you go: Col de la Madeleine

Best time to go

Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct

Mid-June to mid-September is the season for high Alpine routes such as the Tour du Mont Blanc; huts are generally open then and passes are mostly clear of snow. Lower routes around Lyon and the Drôme are good in spring and autumn.