Two very different ascents to the Col des Champs. From Entraunes it is a long grueling battle up through the forest and up to the open, brutal landscape. With an average of 6.5%, the increase on paper is not alarming, but the long, empty stretches without sudden hairpins are felt in the legs.
From the west, starting in Colmars, the climb has an entirely different character, with a series of fast switchbacks at the bottom of the ascent, brutal sections with steep sections and terrible roads – worth paying attention to that if you’re descending this way.