D42 Belvedere du Mont du Chat s(u) by Bicycle - Velo

Each of the long sides of Lac du Bourget has a popular cycling summit. Their altitude difference is less than 50 meters. This point on the west side of the lake is a real work out ride. It is a sustained climb without a single flat spot and little reason to get off the bike until the top is reached. Many publications extol on the difficulty of this climb. But then - not everybody has to race up it.

1.(250m,00.0km) START-END EAST: Le-Bourget-Du-Lac: jctD14-D42
2.(1504m,13.1km)TOP: D42 Belvedere du Mont du Chat
3.(790m,20.2km)jct with D42A on left, shortest way to Col De L'Epine
4.(440m,33.1km)START-END WEST: Novalaise
5.(370m,36.8km)START-END WEST: low point on Lac Aiguebelette

Approaches

From East. When arrinving in Lac du Bourget on the bikepath along the lake, there are signs for the tour named "dent du Mont du Chat". That signals the start of the climbing. The first switchbacks are just a village block away and signs point the way. This road is medium narrow and gets little traffic. The first time the trees break open, you get a view of the east end of the the lake together with its airport. Then comes a long workout, gauged by road signs, that signal progress with the current altitude and the grade for the remaining distance. As interesting as these signs are, they all read 10 percent (more or less by a degree or two), and the grade is indeed very uniform.

Then on top is another view from basically the same geographical position - just higher. Now the view reaches from the high peaks of the Belledonne Range, over the sheer cliffs of northern Chartreuse, to more snowy peaks peaks behind Mt Revard on the other side of the lake - if the weather is clear. More often than not, it is hazy in the summer. A painted sign at the lookout identifies probably around 50 peaks. There is also a transmission facility as well as an eating / drinking facility.

From West. (described downwards). After a switchback or two, the corresponding lookout onto the western side appears next to the road. The difference in landscapes is striking. On this side low flowing hills reach across the river Rhone in the disance like gentle waves in an ocean with moderate to gusty winds. By most definitions these small hills still belong to the alpine area - or prealps - as this area is sometimes called. By most people's definitions the Jura Mountains start on the other side of the Rhone, even though these foothills have more in common with the Jura.

After that there are few, if any views until the valley is almost reached, and a decision has to be made between Vertemex and Truet. My route turned left, direction Col de l'Epine, so the the profile continues to a low point in Novalaise

History-Cycling: The climb from the lake was only once part of a Tour de France stage in 1974.

Dayride with this point as highest summit:

D42 Belvedere du Mont du Chat s(u) , Col de l'Epine : la Ravoire > Chanbery with several km of detours > bike path to Lac du Bourget > up D42 > D42 Belverdere du Mont du Chat > Vertemex > Novalaise > Col de l'Epine > Chanbery > back to starting point in la Ravoire with detour: 55.4miles with 6656ft of climbing in 5:56hrs (Garmin etrex 30: m4:14.7.4)