La Madone d'Utelle.

La Madone d’Utelle

The Madone d’Utelle, why am I telling you about a climb that most of you have not even heard of? And those of you who have heard of it are saying it is miles for Nice (where most of you will be based). Well good question… So I will try to give some reasons for riding it.

First reason, quiet. The road is very very quiet up from the start in St Jean La Riviere, and once you get to the village of d’Utelle the road is a dead end so you can guess even more quiet or even deserted. I have ridden this climb a few times and mostly see no cars at all for the ascent and descent of this final 6k section.

Not enough for you, still don’t see why you would ride nearly 40k from Nice? second reason. This is a nice long climb.. You will not be making the effort to get this far North of Nice for nothing, from memory around 15k to the summit.

Third reason: I know this kind of comes with most climbs in the area, but the beauty on the way up. You have open sections with amazing views of the Valley below from where you started, this really gives a perspective of how far you have climbed, seeing the tiny worm of a road of St Jean La Riviere. The final 6k once past d’Utelle goes through a lovely little section of a few k’s under the trees, I always see a surprised animal. Most of which I have no idea what they actually are. This can be great in the summer with protection from the searing sun.

Forth and final reason (for now): Once you summit you get a truly panoramic view and I mean view! If you have an uber clear day you can see for miles and miles. Almost hundreds of miles. There is a strange viewing stand there (pictures below) which points in different directions and tells you what you are looking at. Even though you are 40k (as the crow flies) from the sea you can still see the sea! An amazing reward for ascending this incredible climb. The view to the north gives you a hint of the Mercantour region which has a different beauty to it. The dark huge mountains.

So you are convinced (I hope)…. You begin the climb in a little village (I have pictured the turning), d’Utelle is well signed off the main road. Then you cross a bridge above the river below and immediately the bridge you take a right (also pictured). This shows signs for “Madone d’Utelle”, thats the place you want!

Above: A look at the turning off the "main" road in St Jean de Riviera.

Above: Just a few meters from the main road you take this turn and set off on the climb!

What I like in a climb is a consistent grade, this is the climb that has that. The average grade is 6%, early on in the climb it allows you to get into it with grades ranging from 4-7% There might be a couple of tiny pinches above that but only for a few seconds. I recently rode the climb and never used my easiest gear. So a nice warm up in the first few k’s.

With the distance being near on 16k for the full climb you need to think about pacing, even with the easer grade early on you can still step over the line and suffer later on. The early kilometres before the village of d’Utelle are facing eastwards and you will get the sun a lot of the time as the road zig zags north to south up this face. So in the summer it will be hot and in the cooler months you will be glad of the sun.

The village of d’utelle can be a good break in the climb, there is a little section of “flatter” road before you soon exit and follow the brown signs for “Madone d’Utelle”. Now you are on the single dead end road. This section starts with a few minutes in the open, then you plunge under the trees. Like I said before this can be great for the sunny days giving you a bit of shelter, but can be chilly in the off season. I really like this section, but it is also where you will find out if you have paced the climb well. With around 2k of the climb left and with 13-14k in your legs you leave behind the treed section and you really will start to feel the height you have gained during the ascent.

If you look very closely, you can just see the start Village in the bottom right corner. With the stunning valley beyond.

You might have started to notice a little pink building steadily getting closer to you as the climb nears its end. This is the end of the Strava section, but I tend to continue riding until the road literally stops at a mobile phone mast. Between the road ending and the pink building there is this awesome viewing point I guess you can call it (see picture). I have also pictured the stone craving in the centre of the viewing point, it points out what you are looking at in all direction. You really do have a truee panoramic view of the entire area and beyond!

Had a little play with the panoramic button on the phone. You can really use it well at the summit of La Madone.

The plaque showing you what you are looking at around you, and confirming you are now at 1181m.

Well done, you have now summited one of my favourite climbs in the Cotes d’Azur. The only thing left to do is sit and enjoy somehting to eat (you will have to bring that with you as I do not think there is a shop in the pink house). I enjoyed a honey and chicken baguette I carried with me. Then you descend, and if it is the time of year I climbed it (Oct/Nov) you will have some Chestnuts to gather. :-)

Not your average blog but hopefully some of you will explore further a field now than the usual Col d’Eze and Col de la Madone. Thanks for reading.