Pas de la Confession
This is the quiet way towards Alpe d’Huez, away from the famous 21 bends: up from the Romanche valley to Villard-Reculas, then over the Pas de la Confession towards Huez, in the Oisans, Isère, France. The Pas is a narrow ledge, made passable for cars in 1928 and open only in summer. Its name comes from a legend that only pure souls could risk the path. In 2016 the climb to Villard-Reculas was one of the closed-road rides of the Oisans Col Series.
The ride starts at Rochetaillée and climbs to Villard-Reculas, at about 1,500 m on a south-facing slope. The village had 218 inhabitants in 1851, only 14 in 1975 and 76 in 2023. In 1946 two experienced skiers opened its first ski tow, and today the village is part of the Alpe d’Huez ski area. From the village the road turns onto the ledge of the Pas de la Confession, and the ride ends just beyond it, on the road to Huez.
Region: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
City: Le Bourg-d'Oisans
Distance: 14.53 km
Elevation Gain: 831 m
Elevation Loss: 29 m
Difficulty: 617 (Moderate)
FIETS Index: 4.41 FIETS
Avg Grade: 5.51 %
Max cat climb: HC
Min elevation: 710 m
Max elevation: 1510 m
Ride Category: Climb