Col du Galibier (Valloire) - Cycling Inspiration & Education

So this is quite a momentous (and if the truth be known nervous) occasion for us and we’re proud to present the very first video in Season One, the beautiful Col du Galibier. See how the road evolves, turning from open green land on the lower slopes to an ash-like snowcapped wonderland by the summit. Every time I ride the Galibier I have the same feeling of pure freedom whilst never being quite sure what the elements will deal on any particular day. So what does it mean when half of the sheep are sat down and the other half are stood up? Are they the weather gods of the mountain? Watch now and find out what this truly magnificent mountain holds in store for every rider.
Start: Valoir
Length: 18.1km
Summit: 2,642m
Elevation gain: 1,245m
Average gradient: 6.9%
Max gradient: 10%
Ridden in July
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Ride safe and thank you for watching.
Peace.
Mike Cotty
The Col Collective
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[@andrew300169]

Late to these, another inspiring video for a newbie, many thanks.

[@TheColCollective]

Welcome to The Col Collective!! Hope you enjoy the videos. 🐮🤞🏼

[@charlydegaul8737]

Three days ago I was on Galibier- fantastic, emotional, sensitive peak. Deserve his reputation, I rode from South and North side - amazing

[@philthemod]

I watch this video quite often, brings back so many memories. I rode Col Du Galibier with my son in August this year, keep up the good work what amazing videos you produce.

[@TheColCollective]

Hi Philip, the Galibier is a true masterpiece. So glad our video brings back all those good memories! Until the next time, ride safe and thanks for your support. Mike

[@suze1958wilde]

Just got a SMART tv and spent ages watching and rewatchiing your little films .. brilliant, thanks

[@TheColCollective]

+susan wilde Oooh, I need a SMART TV. Still living in the '90's with my "brick on a box". Hope they look good on it! M

[@suze1958wilde]

They look amazing, your filming is very good .. so the big screen really shows it off .. I hope you are sponsored by Garmin because my wife just decided we needed more technology after seeing Mike reading his gradients ...haha ..

[@hanz2lk]

Looking forward to the future videos. Well done!

[@arjanbee]

great video, and an even greater climb :) Good work!

[@jmsueiro]

These films are epic, beautiful and inspiring. Thank you very much!

[@TheColCollective]

Juan Sueiro Our pleasure, we are so happy you like our videos :-)

[@staffane3648]

Beautiful video! Fantastic riding and narrating by Mike! Can't wait for next one.

[@Millsy1337]

Brilliant! Keep them coming

[@girthgirth]

That's truly amazing.

[@tubamannP]

Thank you so much Mike. Watching your videos made me realize that the high mountains are not only a wonderful goal, but also attainable. Climbed Gallibier this September with my best friends, and I just cannot wait for the next adventure. Cheers!

[@1afterthep]

I rode la Marmotte this year and enjoyed it so much, I will come back here, absolutely amazing.

[@IndoorCyclingVideos]

Absolut Great Video!

[@benwhitmore6970]

This channel is incredible!

[@tiny-house]

Wow….. hadn’t realised how bloody hard this climb was…… my brother just completed this and immensely proud of him….. well done Chris and thanks for the amazing video Mike

[@aturnip5315]

Great video. Amazing climb.

[@alexwhitehall8524]

I did this climb in the summer and have amazing memories of this climb with friends . I'm a big lad and didn't climb it as quick but enjoyed it and the views are amazing and going through the snow at the top was amazing . Ohh and saw a marmotte just after the pantini memorial . Love the videos and can't wait too see more .

[@MikeCotty]

We always have our eyes peeled for Marmottes! They never fail to make me smile and turn a good day into a great day just like that!! More videos on the way, maybe even featuring our furry friends!! :-)

[@bertiebassett10]

A big thank you Mike for your amazing inspirational videos. On the 24/8/16 I completed the climb of the Telegragh and the Galibier with my 14 year old son. The temperature was 30 deg C and as I'm 48 and over 200lb it wasn't easy. The feeling you get after completing the climb was amazing. Keep the great videos coming ready for more great climbs when I return to the Alps again next year.

[@TheColCollective]

Absolutely brilliant to hear David. The mountains are a magical place, so glad you got to share the moment with your son. Ride safe and stay tuned for more videos :-)

[@irisluciamonteiro3769]

Lovely place....blessed🌷

[@linear7612]

Amazing!!! Thank You!!!!

[@stevobird]

Great video as always, love the series, keep them going! Just got back from the Alps and the Galibier was definitely my favourite climb. Stunning views and even saw a marmot! Magical place

[@TheColCollective]

+Steve Bird You said it Steve, it really is a magical place! Ride safe, Mike

[@rahulkota1]

Beautiful camera work...wonderful effort from Mike...wow just wow!!!

[@MikeCotty]

Thanks Rahul, so glad you enjoyed it! 🙏

[@redviper1970]

I was really nervous about doing the Marmotte 2017 and this videos really helped inspire me...thanks a lot

[@cd18922]

Video bellissimo come tutti gli altri 😱❤️ mi fanno innamorare delle salite

[@andreascarmona]

Last August I was near Bourg d'Oisans, rode a few mountains , however the road to Galibier from there was close , so i didn't get to ride up there , i am heading that way in a month , see you out there man , stay strong and hav a kick ass time riding , it has to be that way man .

[@ac1637]

New to your channel, and I'm loving these videos. Absolutely stunning. Keep them coming!!

[@TheColCollective]

+Albert Chan Welcome to the dance Albert, great to have you on board for the ride. Take care, Mike

[@sZeBraa]

i love your videos so much , keep going mate !

[@TheColCollective]

Horizon ZBR | ZeBraa | Quit Thank you! It means so much to hear comments like that. Stay tuned for more :-) Mike

[@KettEnblattBLOG]

I want to ride my bike right now!!!

[@dragonlord9x9x]

Beautiful...I would love to climb this route if it's in my back yard.

[@bobski36]

Hi John, I went out (from Boston area) for a week in the Alps last September...probably almost $4k for the whole trip (with my bike in tow)...and looking back ...would gladly have payed double. Croix de Fer is a MUST if you go.

[@davidgriffiths1447]

Very well shot... can't wait for more in the series. Hope they get a little more detailed... more like your work with CycleFilm. Keep spinning... Stay Safe.

[@TheColCollective]

Glad you like David! Great feed back, we're trying to let the mountain do a lot of the talking, I'm sure people will get sick of my voice if I'm rabbiting on while there's a stunning mountain scene on offer for all to see :-) Ride safe my friend. Mike

[@ianrob4760]

I am looking to do these climbs next year, I need to lose a few Kilo's but this is inspiration !

[@OneDavidHirst]

Looking forwards to facing it on La Marmotte this year. It's videos like this that keep getting me on the turbo trainer every morning at 5:30 in the morning before the school run and work!

[@TheColCollective]

+Paul Douglas Thanks for watching Paul and good luck at La Marmotte!

[@darrenpinarello]

Hi Mike. I did the Col du Galibier back in July. It was awesome. I had sunny skies and beautiful weather. The weather you had seemed challenging. This was indeed an epic climb and deserves all the respect. Hope to see you do the Alp D Huez and many other Cols!

[@MikeCotty]

Hi Darren, you never know what you're going to get weather wise in the mountains. We were lucky overall, it could've been a whole lot worse. I had many sleepless nights in fear of what the weather gods were going to throw at us as we had very limited time during filming. Fortunately, for the most part, they were in a good mood! We've got Alpe d'Huez and many more climbs in the bag for season one. Just working full bore on bringing the to life now! Stay tuned! Mike

[@mauricemassaad9376]

Hello Mike, really great videos. It helps me a lot to learn about the Alpine cols in perspective of my first Haute Route Alps 2016 :-) Cheers from Beirut !

[@TheColCollective]

+Maurice Massaad Glad it helps Maurice. See you at the Haute Route! :-)

[@sdh8286]

I plan to do this in the summer including the Telegraphe (as a warm up! lol). I`m going to commit Mike`s words to memory to act as inspiration. Eek!

[@ianrob4760]

I commented before but have to state after climbing this 3 times now that there is nothing better out there. I know everyone has their favs but this is the true king for me, this vid is what made we want o lose weight, do the marmotte and now do the Marmotte in 2017 more than 2 hours quick. Mike you are the best, my inspiration with these vids, have a good Xmas and NY !

[@danwoodman00]

Brilliant work - I'm looking forward to the whole of season one. The cinematography is gorgeous. Hopefully you're not leaving too much on the edit room floor - more of this is all good! The major alpine climbs are on the list for me next season, so I was wondering, since you mentioned picking up fresh bottles, etc., in Valloire, are there any guides to the small, off-the-map towns that are on the way for these big climbs, for those of us who need a fill-up along the way? Just curious if you have any reference sources that you work from. Thanks, and keep it up - great stuff.

[@ianrob4760]

Loving the comments on here, I am 42 and inspires me when people can do it at 60. It is tough but I believe the website will be the motivation on the dark long rides on the turbo trainer !

[@fernandonuwanraasika]

Grazie.

[@TheColCollective]

Thank you so much for your support 🙏🏻

[@rowdyyates3801]

I just did this a week ago and you captured it beautifully. The only thing you forgot to mention was the wind.

[@raiko1981]

Thanks for the great videos! I was wondering, is it possible to do Alpe d'Huez and Col du Galibier in a row (not necessarily in that particular order)? If yes, which would be the best route?

[@SchwagerKronos]

We were in Chambéry in a huge bike shop when I saw a poster of you. I suddenly felt like riding out of the saddle up Galibier talking away at nature ;-) Didn't ride out of the saddle all the way but felt great nonetheless. Btw: even the sheep were cold that day. Thanks for your inspiring videos - I love every single on of them.

[@TheColCollective]

AMAZING! Thanks for sharing. Bowsers, must've been cold if even the sheep were chilly! Ride safe, Mike

[@damianibanez9211]

My favorite col :) Beautiful video Mike, can you tell me what it is piano music at the end of the video?

[@lukestockton7348]

the song at 1.50 is by DJ Roman LaCosta - Travel into the dream

[@bmstewart2004]

Great job Mike - I'm going to drive up it this summer so I can enjoy the views instead of staring at my stem as has been the case previously :-} The kick after Plan Lachet is a crippler isn't it.... Looking forward to the rest of the series - Madeleine or Glandon from the North next please

[@TheColCollective]

Yes, that right hander is like a sucker punch to the face! BOOM it's show time! We've got the Madeleine and Glandon on the schedule. Both are nearly done, and make me smile for very different reasons. Stay tuned! Mike

[@bobski36]

The Col Collective The road up thru Allemont to the Croix de Fer is as amazing as the Glandon...throwing my 2 cents in.

[@billstewart5490]

bobski36 Yep, I've ridden Glandon from both sides and at least the one from Allemont finished gently as opposed to from the north which ends with a kick in the goolies. We are staying on top of the Glandon for 4 days this year to watch the Tour over it so will be awesome apart from the fact that any ride will end with a climb up Glandon...

[@MikeCotty]

Hi Dan, I don't have a specific resource that we work from in terms of info on water fountains, coffee stops, and the like. A lot of it comes from exploring and past experience. We're trying to highlight some of these important points in the videos so maybe we can evolve into being this resource :-)

[@SeanBickerdike]

Inspirational indeed, every credit. It's on the bucket list, hopefully sometime soon. In which month was the film made? I noted the "Open June to October" subtitle - is this guidance or is the road closed at other times?

[@MikeCotty]

Hi Sean, we filmed this at the start of September. The pass is cleared from snow to have it open in June (sometimes a little earlier) and is then shut again in October so there is only a mid season weather window to play with. Best of luck! Mike

[@arektomaszewski5306]

nice sitz . What model it is ? (fizik sitz)

[@allyc85]

I will go back to the Galibier one day... hopefully the very top will be open and not closed to snow, like last time in September!

[@TheColCollective]

allyc85 Wishing you good luck!!

[@cas2001]

The Col Collective Galibier will not be there with TDF!!!

[@adrianllorente8832]

song 4:27??

[@alessandronigro3079]

In which season You faced the climb? :) I love the panorama with the snow!

[@TheColCollective]

+Alessandro Nigro Hi Alessandro. We rode this at the very start of July, still snow on the higher parts. Just beautiful!

[@timcollins340]

Great film, Mike. I note the Sufferefest logo in the graphics - are the proposing to make a training video from your efforts? Now that could be fun! Like Nigel B below, I'm rapidly approaching 60 - but I'm not going to let that stop me having a go at one or two of these...

[@MikeCotty]

That's the spirit Tim! I'm sure there is something in the mountains that unlocks the key to eternal life, that's my theory anyway! ;-) I certainly feel more alive when I'm in them! The Sufferfest are a partner of ours, which is great as they have all the training videos dialled to help you find that extra level of fitness. I can sometimes be spotted in the recovery sections of their videos, I have to catch my breath sometimes too! At present we haven't got a plan to make a Sufferfest video from my exploits but never say never, and if you do see one in the future you'll know you're part of planting that seed. Thanks for your support. Best of luck with your cycling and if there's anything I can do to help get you to the top of that mountain then please ask. Ride safe. Mike

[@bmstewart2004]

Hi Tim, I'm not a kick in the a** of 60 and recently did Etapes and Marmotte going over Galibier. Its all possible with a good training base and pacing. Galibier via Valloire is awesome and probably quite enjoyable if you arent worried about the broom wagon or time limit. Certainly the little bar at Plan Lachet or the one by the tunnel at the top would be a nice place to stop and watch the other poor sods suffering on the way up:-)

[@timcollins340]

Mike Cotty bmstewart2004 Hi Mike - yes, I use Sufferfest quite a lot already. I thought it would be quite fun to have one based on one or more of your epic rides! BM, I'm not going to be rushing up any mountains but I hope to be able to maintain a steady pace. Opportunity is the difficult bit (I have a very busy life), but I may be moving to southwest France in 2015 if things come together as I hope. That'll put me a lot closer to my target rides!

[@colinstump]

Nice work. Would be great to see descents too.

[@MikeCotty]

Hi Colin, never say never, what goes up must come down! Need to get the climbs sorted first though! We have a huge library coming in season one :-)

[@lillyallen6567]

Mike, you are blatantly fit and built to climb - may I enquire what your lowest gear was and what gear did you mostly climb in?

[@weerawarakul1817]

is that Cannondale Supersix Evo?

[@TheColCollective]

Excellent spot! Yes it is, EVO Hi-Mod with Mavic CC40C wheels and Dura Ace Di2. Makes me smile every ride! :-)

[@briandonnelly1570]

Fantastic videos Mike, really inspirational stuff. My brother and i are heading to Bourg D'osains on May 18th next year to tackle D'huez, Glandon, Croix de Fer etc etc. In your experience has the Galibier ever opened that early ?

[@TheColCollective]

Hi Brian, it's right on the cusp. This site is pretty handy for checking the status of the passes and if they are open or not www.alpenpaesse.co. Mid May is early for the Galibier, from my experience it has been shut still at this time of the year. Fingers crossed for you! Mike

[@briandonnelly1570]

The Col Collective Cheers Mike.

[@HonorableElihuSmails]

Very nice, Any chance for info on music selections?

[@TheColCollective]

Hi, we work with various artists to compose tracks and also have a library of music that we're continually searching for the right mood setting music. Not an easy job but definitely fulfilling when the music and motion comes together!

[@salvadorromeromolina3719]

THE SPIRIT OF LUIS OCAÑA ( TOUR 1973)

[@domenicoalessandrosilvestr7829]

The spirit of Marco Pantani is still there on those climbs and pushes you not to give up!

[@paulsolon6229]

Pantani gave up. Most consider his death a drug suicide

[@domenicoalessandrosilvestr7829]

@@paulsolon6229 don't forget that you are talking about an unrivaled champion and sports legend while you are no one to judge him! show him respect because you can only dream of his achievements in cycling!

[@paulsolon6229]

@@domenicoalessandrosilvestr7829 0

[@mikeford5678]

What time of year was this?

[@TheColCollective]

Great question. This was filmed in June.

[@nigelb4318]

Inspirational, but at the same time a bit of a downer; I'm 57 years old and will probably never now have a fitness level sufficient to ride a 90 minute climb..so I will content myself with your superb films, and continue to potter around here in Brittany. Some technical advice on gearing maybe be informative.

[@TheColCollective]

Thank you Nigel. Brittany, what a nice place to ride!! I hope the films will give you more of an up than a down! As soon as the full website launches (thecolcollective.com) in a few weeks time you'll be able to ask any of our partners (or me for that matter) a question directly and get an answer. Must dash, I have to read up on my technical gearing advice for when you ask that question! ;-) Ride safe! Mike

[@bmstewart2004]

Hi Nigel as per my reply to Tim above - its all possible - I did the Marmotte last year at the age of 56 - just needs base level fitness to build on - all my training was done around London and Surrey which is not known for mountains! Just went on effort based intervals up to 60/90 minutes....

[@felixlowe3016]

Nigel - don't give up! I'm relatively new to cycling and I rode 2,800km from Barcelona to Rome last autumn. Sure, I was just 32 years old at the time - but there was a guy in our group who was 70 and he conquered the Galibier with us young bucks. In fact, there were lots of riders in their 60s: if you get in the right gear and come prepared, you too could do it. FYI, I wrote a book about my experiences - it's called (with tongue placed firmly in cheek) Climbs and Punishment: www.amazon.co.uk/Climbs-Punishment-Felix-Lowe/dp/0593073347 All the best - I hope Mike, the Col Collective and (perhaps) my book give you inspiration to keep pushing yourself towards your dreams.

[@netfischer]

ha people will hate me for this, but for some slightly older guy who doesn#t have the time or willingness to build sufficient fitness to ride these mountainpasses I don´t see much wrong with some motorassistance (ebike). Personally I´m a 23year old cat A racer so I don`t need that yet but I think the main thing is just to get out and ride and these beautiful mountain scenery is just to awesome to miss out on! There are also very unobstrusive solutions that maybe give you a 100watts so you still ride mainly by yourself and are not noticable visually like the vivax assist...

[@netfischer]

recommended that to my father, too. He´s 61 and unfortunately terribly out of shape. I´m a very competitive person but I think life´s too short to be held back because you turn everything and anything into an ego-contest. Beating other riders or "beating" the mountain isn't everything!

[@salvadorromeromolina3719]

1. Luis OCAÑA ,2. JOSE MANUEL FUENTE A 58 SECONDES ,,3. BERNARD THEVENET A 15 MINUTES

[@francescos.4062]

P A N T A N I P A N T A N I P A N T A N I 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹

[@geopolityk1160]

Education first 😢😂😮😅😊

[@paulsolon6229]

Irritating background music

[@AdilsonAmaro]

That's a really joy to watch. It's a sensational and truly inspirational.

[@MikeCotty]

Thank you!