Portes de Culet/Col de Derrière des Portes | ||
Height | Climbing height - length | |
1788m | 1386m - 18.3 km (Monthey via Morgins) 1366m - 19.6 km (Monthey) 496m - 4.25 km (Morgins) 1385m - 19.83 km (Collombey-Muraz) |
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Difficulty | Beauty | |
4-5 (5) | 3-4 (5) | |
How to get there | 1698-1679This is a very hard climb, starting in Monthey (422m) and sharing the same road as to Pas de Morgins (1370m, road height 1378m) until shortly before Morgins (1311m) at Arche (1254m). Here an unsigned very narrow tarmacced road winds its way up to the pass toward the north. Shortly before the pass (you will know where when you arrive there) you should take off north again on another small road for the last little stretch up to the pass. One could also arrive here from Morgins on a road that is almost single-lane (very, very narrow) and it starts with gradients above 20% out of Morgins and you gain 387m in altitude in 2.77 km (14.1% on average) before a short descent and the crossroad with the other road to the pass. The road is also asphalted on the northern side up from Collombey-Muraz (403m), but the road is formally closed due to risks of landslides, but I believe it is passable. The northern climb should be quite hard too, but I have only descended part of it. |
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Other comments | There is a gravel road pass, Col de Conche (1689m), not far from this pass on the north side that goes down to France (only 265m from the asphalt road). It can be very hot on this climb and you are exposed to the sun most of the time on the climb from Monthey. The climb from Morgins is very hard! It is very beautiful once one has left the main Morgins road with views of the mountains between Switzerland and France to the south. The asphalt road that takes off the north road a bit on the way down/up that side towards Torgon soon becomes a gravel road, which is doable with a road bike, but it is pretty harsh going (and there are two choices later on, I only tried the higher, longer one). For the northern side see an account at Quaeldich. [CH-VS-1787] |
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