Oisans mountain passes · Cycling
Lake Besson
The altitude extension of L'Alpe d'Huez: beyond the resort, the road climbs to the plateau of lakes, at 2,070 m.
Live weather
Real-time · Open-Meteo. The mountain top weather often differs from the valley.
Climb profile – Bourg-d’Oisans (above Alpe d’Huez)
Calculated from our GPX track (IGN altitude). Segments coloured according to the gradient.
Gradient kilometre by kilometre view details
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How long does it take to go up?
Estimate based on your power-to-weight ratio (physical model, validated against real times). Indicative only.
Cycling to Lac Besson, above Alpe d'Huez
Beyond the Alpe d'Huez resort, the road continues to climb towards the Lake plateau and the Lake Besson, to 2,070 m. Since Bourg-d'Oisans, this is the complete climb of the 21 hairpins extended up to the plateau: 18.2 km and 1,368 m ascent averaging 7.4 %. A magnificent ascent that reveals a completely different side to the Alpe – rugged and wild.
Difficulty
Let's do the first one after the other 21 bends from Alpe d’Huez (up to ~11 %), then the route continues, on gentler terrain, through the mountain pastures to the lake. The difficulty lies in the length and of the’altitude finally, above 2,000 m. Bring a windbreaker: the lake plateau is exposed and much cooler than the resort.
The Lake District
At the summit opens up a high mountain landscape: Lake Besson, Black Lake and the vast alpine pastures of the high-altitude area, with views of the Grandes Rousses and the Écrins massif. An exceptional extension for those who find Alpe d'Huez too short — and one of the finest walking destinations in the Oisans.
Frequently asked questions
What is the altitude of Lac Besson?
The lake is located at approximately 2,070 m, on the plateau of the lakes above Alpe d'Huez.
How many kilometres from Bourg-d’Oisans?
18.2 km for 1,368 m an average gradient of 7.4 %, equivalent to the Alpe d’Huez extended all the way to the plateau.
Is the road tarmacked?
Yes, the road is tarmac up to the lake plateau; it's a natural extension of the Alpe d'Huez climb.
Neighbouring cols — Alpe d’Huez & its balconies
Route © OpenStreetMap contributors · Altitude © IGN RGE ALTI · Max gradient over 100 m : climbfinder.