For years, the VAM mountain has been a staple in cycling in the Netherlands. We saw EK’s, NK’s, 3 nations cups, the Ronde van Drenthe and many other events incorporate this location into their courses. Since the opening of the cycling season 2024, a new climb has been added. This is ‘the roof of Drenthe’. A few ‘centimers’ higher and a few significant percentage increases in elevation. We set off to see this from up close!
Text: Ella van der Veer, photos: Ella van der Veer / Sander Kolsloot
Beautiful surroundings
In the area of the VAM mountain you can make beautiful tours; the Dwingelderveld is nearby and in the spring you often encounter colorful bulb fields. If you head towards the VAM you often already see the incineration furnaces of Attero at work. The VAM is indeed a good example of recycling; this waste mountain has been transformed into a true cycling paradise with four asphalted climbs.
Drenthe’s roof: The roof is on fire?
We are here for the new Dak van Drenthe. We are not too worried about the 63 meters above NAP. But we know that the other climbs (48 meters above NAP) can be really steep. It is no different with the Dak. With about 550m and an average gradient of 11%, it still seems manageable, but the devil is in the details. As you climb up the climb, you can immediately see it: this is not a gradual climb. You immediately face a terrible wall. That immediately explains the max percentage: 16.5%.
Polder resistance rises
With my Dutch approach to tackling the hill, I’m going to climb up; sitting down will only get me so far here, so I’ll have to get off the saddle to get over this first section. Fortunately, it flattens out a little after the bend, and you can even catch your breath for a moment to recharge before the final stretch. This one will also be above 10%. After this, I turn my back on the hill, before descending with two hairpins to the original descent that I share with the other three climbs. Looking to the right, I see a whole section of Drenthe; to the left, there’s an idyllic view of VAM mountain 3.0. It remains a waste processing site!
All in all, you can easily incorporate the Dak (and the old climbs) into a beautiful ride through Drenthe or use it for interval training. Make no mistake, doing some loop riding on the VAM will definitely leave you with a sore leg! In our opinion, a must-try for any cycling enthusiast in (Northern) Netherlands.
Questions & tips
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