Col du Grand Colombier from Culoz

17 km road cycling route1,241 m climbing1 h 15 minGPX

Culoz, France · Road

A mountainous 17 km road cycling route from Culoz, with 1,241 m of climbing over Roc Passin.

Routed from the map This classic road was traced on OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

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At a glance

Best for: Short, climbing-heavy rides
Distance: 17.4 km; Point to point
Elevation gain: 1,241 m; 71 m per km
Riding time: 1 h 15 min; moving time, estimated
Difficulty: Moderate
Bike: Road bike; from the mapped surface
Surface: Paved; 98% paved · 2% unpaved
Traffic: Mostly minor roads; 15.5 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more
Food & water: Regular; 13 cafés and restaurants · 1 shop · 3 water points · 3 public toilets
Best months: Apr to Oct; Culoz climate, 10 years
Navigation: GPX download; free, no sign-in
Start → finish: Culoz

Col du Grand Colombier, Anglefort. — Photo: Chabe01 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent: 1,241 m
Distance: 17 km

Route description

Culoz
Roc Passin

This 17.4 km route starts at Culoz at 252 m and climbs steadily to 1493 m at Col du Grand Colombier. The climb is 17.3 km long with an average gradient of 7.2%, including sections up to 14.4% and a steep 500 m section at 21.8% right from the start. The profile is predominantly uphill with 95% climbing, and most climbing occurs in the second half.

The road surface is 99% paved with a minor 1% unpaved section. The route uses 16.4 km of the named road D 120, mainly on minor roads (92%), with a brief 5% on quiet streets and 3% on roads with cycle lanes. The route is on fast roads with 15.6 km at 80 km/h or more.

Amenities are mainly concentrated near the start and finish. In Culoz, near km 0, there are bakeries, a market, bars, and restaurants. There is drinking water available at 0.1 km and toilets at the start and the top. There is a notable 12.6 km stretch from 2.6 km to 15.2 km without cafés, shops, or water. At the finish, "La Pause du Grand Colombier" fast food is available.

Why ride this route?

Climbs Roc Passin (17.3 km at 7.2 %).
Tops out at 1,493 m, 17.3 km in.

Highlights

Col du Grand Colombier summit at 1493 m
Steepest 500 m segment at 21.8% gradient
Nearby peaks: Pierre Amion 1449 m, Pierre Fillola 1426 m
Long climb from Culoz starting at 252 m

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
Climb	Starts at	On this ride	Full ascent	Top on this ride
Roc Passin	0 km	17.3 km · 1241 m · 7.2 % · max 14.4 %	17.3 km · 1241 m · 7.2 %	1493 m

High point 1493 m at 17.3 km; low point 252 m. Passes beneath Pierre Amion, Pierre Fillola, Grand Colombier.

On this ride: the part this route climbs, cut from its own elevation profile. Full ascent: the whole named climb, measured the same way on every ride that uses it (its climb page).

Roc Passin · full ascent, starts at 0 km

17.3 km at 7.2% · 1241 m

< 4%4 – 7%7 – 10%> 10%

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Mostly minor roads and streets on the map.

Roads: 91% minor road · 5% quiet street · 4% other roads and tracks
Fast roads: 15.5 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Main roads used: D 120 (16 km)
Surface: Paved: 98% of the route is mapped as paved, 2% as unpaved.
Gradient: 95% climbing · 1% descending · 5% flat
Steep sections: 12.4 km over 5% · 7.5 km over 8% · 3.2 km over 10% · steepest 500 m averages 21.8% at 0 km

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 13 cafés and restaurants, 1 shop, 3 water points and 3 public toilets.

Food, water and shops in ride order

0 kmMarché de Culoz · market · 50 m off route
0 kmToilets · on the route
0.1 kmDrinking water · 150 m off route
0.1 kmPharmacie du Colombier · pharmacy · on the route
0.2 kmBoulangerie Binaud · bakery · on the route
17.3 kmLa Pause du Grand Colombier · fast food · on the route
17.3 kmToilets · on the route

Need to bail out?

0 km — Culoz (station), 550 m off route

Whether bikes are carried depends on the service — check before relying on it.

Worth a stop

0 km — Point de Vue du Banc (viewpoint)

Start and access

Starts at Culoz. Mapped within a short walk of the start and finish, from OpenStreetMap.

At the start

Food and coffee: Les délices de Culoz (40 m), Boulangerie Binaud (200 m), La Casa della Pizza (40 m)
Shops: Marché de Culoz (70 m)

At the finish

Food and coffee: La Pause du Grand Colombier (70 m)

Know before you go

12.6 km without café, shop or water from km 2.6 to 15.2
15.6 km on fast roads (80 km/h or more)
Steepest 500 m at 21.8% gradient from start

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

2 photographs from the road

Photo: Benoît Prieur · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Chabe01 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

About this route

Route line: Routed on OpenStreetMap roads with bicycle routing, then measured like a recorded ride.
Elevation: Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services: Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
Best months: Ten years of ERA5 weather for Culoz (Open-Meteo).
GPX: Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added: Saturday 29th August 2026
Page last updated: Sunday 13th September 2026

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Col du Grand Colombier from Culoz