The completely deserted road to Col de Chaude
Switzerland, europe
13 km
357 m
hard
Year-round
# Col de Chaude: A Steep Swiss Mountain Adventure
Ready for a serious leg workout? Col de Chaude (also called Col de Chaudoz) sits pretty at 1,600m (5,300ft) in Vaud canton, Switzerland, near Aigle. Fair warning: 11 out of the 13 km climb maintains an average gradient above 10%—this isn't your typical scenic cruise.
The adventure kicks off in Villeneuve on the shores of Lake Léman at just 357m elevation, which means you've got serious vertical to tackle. The mountain road here is delightfully narrow and wonderfully quiet (in the best way), with stretches hitting over 15% gradient that'll have your calves screaming. It's the kind of road that makes you feel genuinely remote from civilization.
The full push from Villeneuve covers 12.8 km with a whopping 1,243m elevation gain. Work that out and you're looking at an average grade of 9.7%—basically relentless. The payoff? A charming restaurant waiting at the summit, perfect for celebrating your conquest with local fare and views that stretch for miles.
This isn't a casual mountain pass—it's properly steep, genuinely isolated, and absolutely rewarding for those ready to put in the effort.
Where is it?
The completely deserted road to Col de Chaude is located in Switzerland (europe). Coordinates: 46.7782, 8.3388
Road Details
- Country
- Switzerland
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 13 km
- Max Elevation
- 357 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 46.7782, 8.3388
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