For years, VAM Mountain has been a household name with cycling in the Netherlands. We saw European Championships, National Championships, 3 nations cups, the Ronde van Drenthe and many other events include this location in their courses. Since the opening of the 2024 cycling season, a new climb has been added. This is 'the roof of Drenthe'. A few 'inches' higher and a few more hefty gradients. We set out to take a closer look at this one!
Text: Ella van der Veer, photos: Ella van der Veer / Sander Kolsloot
Beautiful surroundings
In the vicinity of VAM mountain you can make beautiful rounds, the Dwingelderveld is nearby and in spring you often come across colourful bulb fields. If you drive towards VAM, you can often already see Attero's incinerators doing their work. VAM is in fact a good example of recycling, this waste mountain has been transformed into a true cycling paradise with four asphalted climbs.
Roof of Drenthe: The roof is on ...fire?
We are here for the new Roof of Drenthe. The 63 metres above sea level do not scare us yet. But of the other climbs (48 metres above sea level) we know they can be filthy steep. This is no different at the Dak. At about 550m and an average gradient of 11%, it doesn't seem too bad either but the devil is in the details. As you ride up the climb you soon see it: this is not a gradual climb. You immediately face a terrible wall. That immediately explains the max percentage: 16.5%.
Polder move up
With my Dutch polder gear I rake up, sitting down is possible but many will have to get out of the saddle to get over this first stretch. After the bend it fortunately flattens out a bit and you can catch your breath to recharge for the final stretch. This too does go up above 10%. After this, you turn up the back of the hill before descending two hairpins to the original descent that you share with the other three climbs. At the top you look out over a whole section of Drenthe to the right, to the left you have an idyllic view of VAM mountain 3.0. It's still a waste disposal site!
All in all, you can incorporate the Dak (and the old climbs) well into a nice ride through Drenthe or use it for interval training. Make no mistake, some looping on the VAM is guaranteed to put acid in your legs! As far as we are concerned, a must for every cycling enthusiast in (Northern) Holland.
