Mountaineering in Drenthe? Yes, you can! The VAM mountain used to be a place you’d rather not visit; a waste dump. But with the arrival of three climbing routes and one descent, it’s now the place in Drenthe where you should have visited at least once as a cyclist. The average gradient on the 4,800-meter-high ‘Col du VAM’ is 10%. At one of the three routes, you’ll even find 150 meters of gravel with a gradient of 15%. You’ll feel those gravel lumps right here! On behalf of Cycling Destination, explorer Nynke Cuperus went to the climb in her home province. Her report is nothing short of spectacular!
Text: Nynke Cuperus, photos: Bouke Cuperus
Championship equipment
It is no wonder that the organization of the National Cycling Championships and the European Cycling Championships (September 2023) chose a route over the VAM mountain in the Drenthe district of Wijster. No one less than Anna van der Breggen and Mathieu van der Poel have already entered ‘The Roof of Drenthe’. Joop Zoetemelk is also enthusiastic about the VAM mountain. “I find it amazing how they turned a rubbish dump into that,” said the last Tour winner of the Netherlands. RTV Drenthe.
And we at Cycling Destination completely agree with that. After all, how cool is it that the province Drenthe How did they manage to create such a bike attraction from a junkyard? But let’s be honest, don’t expect too much either. The Col du VAM certainly doesn’t compare to a day of cycling in the Limburg hills. After cycling up and down a few times, you’ve seen it.
Great place to practice climbing and descending
Do you want to prepare for a bike trip abroad? Then this is a great place to get used to climbing and descending. The routes together are about 2100 meters long. So just figure out how many times you need to cycle up for a good workout.
Or see the VAM mountain as a nice addition to a beautiful round through Drenthe. It is indeed something different from the flat Netherlands we are used to. From the top you can see kilometers away over the green Drenthe landscape. And that's for good reason; on the routes one-way traffic applies.
Wandering through the Dwingelderveld
Climbing the Col du VAM can be easily combined with the nearby Dwingelderveld National Park. This is the largest contiguous area of wet moorland in Western Europe; a beautiful natural area with forests, peat bogs, and streams that you really shouldn’t miss.
You will find several beautiful cycling paths here, such as the Commissioner Cramerpad That starts with Boslounge in Spier. The bike path takes you through the forest, past the streams that are filled with water lilies and breeding birds. Then you follow the road Behind the Zaand and you cycle across the meadow where herds of sheep are peacefully grazing. Our top tip is to stop for a cup of coffee and some treats along the way. Bospub This is a very funny restaurant that reminded us of a kind of cross between an après-ski hut and a horse riding stable.
Village of Orvelte
Not enough kilometers in your legs yet? Then add the historic village of Orvelte to your route. According to readers of the ANWB, this centuries-old village is one of the most beautiful villages in our country. And we completely understand that, because you feel like you’ve stepped back in time here. In Orvelte, you drink coffee with a view of monumental farmhouses and cycle along streets with old cobblestones and child-sized cups.
One thing is certain; after this bike ride you’ll see that Drenthe has more to offer than just the Hunebeds. Of course, you can always take a car ride over the Hunebeds for fun. Hunebed Highway Driving: the Drenthe version of Route 66.
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.