CyclistClassic climb: Col de Sarenne, the wild col that terrified the TourThe route planners of the Tour de France have always had a sadistic edge, but it took them 110 years from the races inception to find the courage to send the peloton to the rough roads, precipices and primitive landscapes of the Col de Sarenne.This notoriously wild col, which forms part of the hulking Grandes Rousses massif in the French region of Isre, provides a back door route to the cycling legend of Alpe dHuez. But when the Sarenne appeared in the Tour for the first time, in the centenary edition of 2013, the pro riders were not happy. Related Posts Classic climb: Col du Glandon, a Tour appetiser that always serves up a feast Classic climb: Col de la Croix de Fer, a Tour de France staple with a rich Alpine pedigree Classic climb: Col du Galibier, a Tour de France classic with a grandeur to suit its status Classic climb: Alpe dHuez, the most famous climb in pro cycling? The climb itself 958m of altitude gain over 12.8km with an average gradient of 7.5% and sharp ramps at 14.1% would have been brutal enough, but the problem was that the riders were not asked to ride up it. They had to tackle it as a descent.The turquoise water of the Lac du Chambon, by the 90m high walls of the Barrage du Chambon.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistThe Col de Sarenne is Alpe dHuezs wild sister: strikingly beautiful but unpredictable and dangerous. Hidden in an ancient Alpine landscape just 9km from the iconic 21 hairpins of Alpe dHuez, the Sarenne is a gritty, grinding climb defended by abrasive roads, crumbling rockfaces and vertiginous drops. German rider Tony Martin called the Tours 2013 detour to the Sarenne irresponsible. He warned, Its a bad road, no guardrails. A mistake could see you falling straight down 30 metres.Chris Froome, who went on to win the 2013 Tour, said the Sarenne was dangerous, and called for caution: The road surface is not great, it is not level, it is not smooth if you go over on a corner you will go a long way down.Emerging from the cool shade of the Tunnel du Barrage du Chambon at the start of the ascent.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistSeeing this wave of primal fear ripple through the peloton no doubt delighted the Tour organisers. Nothing boosts viewing figures like the potential for catastrophe.Fear and loathingAt 1,999m, the Sarenne is a shade taller than its celebrated sibling Alpe dHuez (1,860m), to which it is connected by a narrow mountain road. This road weaves through a stark landscape, then over and down the Sarenne, connecting Alpe dHuez to Lac du Chambon and the villages of Le Freney dOisans and Mizon in the Romanche valley below. And it is this simple geographical fact that led to the inclusion of the Sarenne on Stage 18 of the 2013 Tour.The picturesque village of Clavans-le-Haut, around 6km into the ascent, is an oasis of flower-filled squares and pretty mountain chalets.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistFor decades, Tour organisers had fantasised about including two ascents of Alpe dHuez in a single day. But how to do it? The long-neglected Sarenne provided the solution. Riders could battle up Alpe dHuez, continue to the Col de Sarenne then descend into the valley, before completing a clockwise loop back to Bourg dOisans, from where they could ascend Alpe dHuez a second time. The rough roads of the Sarenne were spruced up for its Tour debut, but the riders were still edgy. The cols steep gradients, narrow roads and stomach-turning drops can be sketchy on a descent, especially if youre looking to gain valuable seconds in pursuit of the yellow jersey. And when Stage 18 arrived, there was no shortage of drama.The opening section of the climb serves up wonderful views of the Lac du Chambon.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistThe route was a 172.5km dash from Gap to Alpe dHuez, which saw riders cross Alpe dHuez for the first time after 118km, then hit the Sarenne after 127.5km before tearing down the descent, through the valley and back up the Alpe. The Sarenne was crossed first by a small group of riders led by American Tejay van Garderen. But on the descent a rain shower added a lethal sheen to the road. Van Garderens chain slipped off and he later blamed the rough roads for causing the chain to hop around. This section is 7% but the road peaks at 14.1%.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistFrenchman Christophe Riblon, Van Garderens breakaway companion, slid off the road on a left-hand bend and ended up miraculously still upright in a ditch. Riblon went on to overtake Van Garderen on Alpe dHuez to win the historic stage a moment he described as life changing.The higher you climb, the more precipitous the drops, making the Sarenne much more pleasant to climb than descend.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistThe Tour has not returned to the Sarenne since that day, but the col was included this time as a climb, not a descent on Stage 7 of the Critrium du Dauphin in 2017. Peter Kennaugh and Ben Swift battled up the Sarennes wild slopes together, before Kennaugh surged to victory at Alpe dHuez.The wild wayFor amateur cyclists in pursuit of refreshing new Alpine adventures, climbing up the Sarenne instead of hurtling down it offers a gloriously gritty new way to reach Alpe dHuez via this back door approach. And it is well worth the detour.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistThe ascent of the Sarenne begins 22km southeast of Alpe dHuez, by the towering 90m high walls of the Barrage (dam) du Chambon. You pass the turquoise waters of Lac du Chambon, which is nestled between the folds of plump forested mountains. The road then forks left and you begin the ascent to the village of Mizon, with fierce sections at 11.5%. On the way you tackle a section of hairpins, go through a tangle of trees, rock faces, pylons and road barriers, before gliding past the flowered balconies and ornate lampposts of Mizon.The rugged folds of the Alpine peaks look spectacular as you enter the back door of Alpe dHuez.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistOn this opening section you will catch glimpses of the glittering Lac du Chambon below, but after passing Mizon the road plunges into a darker forested landscape surrounded by steep walls of rock. The road then heads through the village of Clavans-le-Haut, where it begins to narrow and roughen up. At the village of Le Perron, a menacing cluster of switchbacks delivers a sudden and shocking rise in altitude, but as the hairpins fold up and over one another, views of distant forests and snow-sprinkled peaks open up around you.As the road climbs higher, the wild terrain of the Sarenne gives it a uniquely eerie atmosphere.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistIn this high-altitude landscape the road is imperfect and the terrain is pockmarked with scrub and stones. Seemingly far from civilisation, you feel like you should be wearing a wax jacket and wellies and toting a shotgun rather than Lycra and cleats and carrying a mini-pump. The Sarenne has a rustic charm that is a world away from the car-choked 21 hairpins on the other side of the massif.As you climb higher the landscape becomes even more dramatic, with rivers of grey scree, serrated peaks and vast Alpine meadows. And those vertiginous drops, which the pro riders were so worried about, begin to yawn beneath you. On one side a steep rock face rises above you; on the other looms a void of chilled mountain air.There is little fanfare at the summit, other than a sticker-clad signpost noting the 1,999m altitude.Juan Trujillo Andrades / CyclistThe mountain road here is badly patched and scarred, but as it curls in on itself you can peer back down the valley and observe the ribbon of tarmac that transported you into this high wilderness. At the summit there is a simple Arrive sign and a viewpoint that offers panoramic views of Alpine peaks and dark forests.From the top of the Sarenne, you can either continue riding to Alpe dHuez or brave the dubious descent. Just remember you arent chasing the maillot jaune when you begin your dash downhill. This article originally appeared in issue 154 of Cyclist magazine. 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