Are you planning a cycling holiday in Valais – Wallis? And are you in the area of Martigny or Crans-Montana? Then the climb up the Col du Sanetsch is almost a must-do. Local legend Alain Rumpf, which is just around the corner in the Valais Alps Living in this region, this climb was once described as the hidden gem of Switzerland. As we will later find out, this is not without reason. With our travel companions, we climb the Col du Sanetsch from Pont de la Morge. This variant is the toughest of the two variants. Here you have a climb of 25.9km at an average of almost seven percent. Along the way, you encounter a climber of 14.5%. That's a bit of a stretch.
READ ALSO: Cycling to Barrage d’Emosson: a route never raced in a World Championships
Vineyards make way for stones
The climb really starts in the valley, where you first ride through the vines. You have beautiful views over the valley and you wonder: where are we going to cycle? The views get better and better. The vegetation slowly disappears, because watch out, we climb to over 2200 meters altitude! The unevenness of the climb is also clearly noticeable. Still, we keep the pace up because according to reports it is raining hard. The bright sun in the valley quickly disappears behind dark clouds. That’s part of cycling in the Alps. As we ride through a tunnel, oncoming cyclists warn us of bad weather at the summit.
Up we go
However, nothing is holding us back and we are steadily making progress to keep things quiet for the necessary photos. The view is breathtaking, the temperature has dropped rapidly from 25 degrees in the valley to just under 10 degrees at the summit. As we descend a little towards the dam that lies at the end of the climb, nature threatens to deliver a heavy downpour. Just in time, we take refuge in the alpine hut that seems to have been laid out for us there. We warm ourselves by the fire and with some local specialties the rain disappears like snow in the sun. In this ‘Auberge du Sanetsch’ has high-quality dishes and is part of the Ta Cave crowdfunding concept, which seems to stand for high quality.
About the region
The region around Martigny is beautiful Valais. From the starting point in Martigny, the Alps lie at your feet, and with the aforementioned Col de la Forclaz (1528), the Col de Sanetsch (2252m), and the climb to Emosson (1967m), you’ll be well fed for a few days.‘Region Dents du Midi‘It is particularly beautiful. This part of Valais has many high-altitude places to offer.
Not only are 45 of the 82 ‘4000ers’ located in the canton, but the fact that you can actually go in three directions from the valley (heading towards France (southern direction) as well as towards the north and northeast creates more possibilities. The col du Grand Saint Bernard It is one of the most beautiful and longest climbs, with almost 42km at an average of 4.8%. Only the last five or six kilometers show percentages above 7%. With the (petit) Forclaz as a warm-up, this is a challenging day on the bike.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.