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Last update:  29-Apr-2004

Publisher
Countries
Language
Description

Altigraph Edition (BP1 49080 Bouchemaine)
France, all mountain ranges
French
The total serie covers most of the French passes (cols in French) and climbs (a few outside France near the border). Altigraph books are famous and well-known at European mountains cyclists

Contents

• Profile: km-Type: manually drawn line between points
  Each point (km): heigth, avg.%, objects: place,bridge,church,etc.
• Starting point/height, Length, Difference in altitude, % (min-max), Difficulty (called Cotation=estimated time in case of 200W power), State of the route, Period open (snowfree), Landscape (stars)
• Maps with localisation (Michelin), short description of region, landscape, villages, history
• Description of the route: Important points (heights, direction)

• Nice layout
• A lot of unknown or not very well known climbs
• Location on the map (in colour)
• A lot of information per climb

• Profile not always very accurate (I know this because I've measured a lot of climbs): manually drawn profiles, points and objects not in the exact place, heights sometimes wrong or inconsistent (2 different heights for same point)
• Profile per km in stead of per point of gradient change
• Points in description: precise place not always mentioned (like bridge, crossing, junction, church, ...)
  Example: a start in Argeles-Gazost can be anywhere
• Max. gradient not always mentioned
• The Serie of the Pyrenees overlap: a lot of double climbs. It's eays to cover all the Pyrenees in 3 volumes but I think because of commercial reasons they appear in 4 volumes

Publisher
Countries
Language
Description

Ediciclo Editore
Italie N (Alps, Appennines), Austria (Kärnten/Carinzia)
Italian, German (1 book)
It's the Italian counterpart of the Altigraph serie.

Contents

Maps, some Photos, Introduction (maps, difficulties), Information (traffic, climate, internet-links, etc.)
Per Climb:

• Profile Route-Type: places, objects, changes in gradient
  Each point: length, heigth, avg.%
• Starting point/height, Length, Difference in altitude, avg.%, max.%, Difficulty (1-5)
• Description of the route: landscape, villages, objects, turns etc.
• Special Note

Publisher (auth.)
Countries
Language
Description

Dorleta (by Mario Ruiz, Jacques Roux)
Spain, France
Spanish
Same books as the Altigraph-series! In Spanish

Contents

See above

Publisher (auth.)
Countries
Language
Description

Denzel-Verlag, Innsbruck (Harald und Eduard Denzel)
Last Edition: 20th (1999) (1st Edition 1956)
Alps-countries (France, Switserland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy, Slovenia)
German
Sometimes called the bible of the Alp routes (Alpenstrassen). This book is very thorough and detailed and is indeed a standard work .
The book is intended for all kind of traffic: bicycles and motorized traffic. The climbs are categorised by country and province.

Contents

Maps (more than 100), Photographs (175), Introduction (technique of riding in the mountains with car and motor), Descriptions of the regions, Alphabetic Index with data per route (7 type,max.% per side, techn.difficulty SG1-5), about 600 climbs
Per Climb:

• Profile (sometimes) Route-type (roughly): places, tops, steep parts
  Each point: length, heigth
• Starting point, max.% (index)
• Landscape classification (*,**,***),
• Technical Difficulty meant for motorized traffic (SG1-5)
• Description of the route: landscape, villages (with heights), objects, turns etc.

• Length, Height difference, Avg. % of the climb are (normally) not mentioned. Other data is available but 'hidden' in the description.
  It seems to me that the book is more written for motorized traffic than for bicycles

Publisher
Authors
Countries
Language
Description

Franck Mercier/Editions des Cent Cols
Robert and Monique Chauvot (Collection : LA FRANCE A VELO)
France
French
This relatively small book lists all (?) 8500 passes (Fr: cols) that can be found on IGN and Michelin maps. This includes also unpaved passes (Fr: muletier).
It's made in cooperation with the 'Club de cent cols' -the 100 passes association.
It must have been a gigantic work to do but if you are just interrested in nice descriptions or photographs this book is not ment for you. It's in fact maybe the most boring book of France.

Contents

There is a list per 'departement' and a list by height. There are no maps or photographs. In the second list the data per pass is

• Height
• Coordinates on IGN map and on Michelin map

• The completeness

• You need the corresponding IGN or Michelin maps
• No other data than height
• No pictures, maps

Publisher
Countries
Language
Description

Kosmos (Holland)
Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Switserland
Dutch

Publisher
Countries
Language
Description

Bruckmann Verlag, München
Alp countries Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Switserland
German
Serie books

??

Publisher
Countries
Language
Description

BLV Verlaggesellschaft mbH and Südwest Verlag
Austria, Frankrijk, Germany, Italy, Switserland
German
Passes and climbs per country or region.
Per climb there is a map and profile and a one page description of the route. There is information about the max. %, length, difference of height, estimated time, recommended gears and used map.

Same information in another jasje. Old wine in new

Publisher
Countries
Language
Description

Pirola, Schoorl, Holland
Most W. European countries (France, Italy, Portugal, Spain)
Dutch
The Luc Oteman serie contains the most climbs.
These books decribe the region in a number of routes and profiles

Contents

Introduction (transport, equipment, maps, lodging, adresses), Practical information (traffic, bicycle shops, public holidays, food and drinks,etc.) , Descriptions of the regions (mountains, nature, climate, history, etc.)
Per Route:

• Route: distance, heights (many self-measured)
• Map, profile (manually drawn)
• Description: landscape, villages, objects, turns etc.

Frans Heylen [Belgium]
Met de fiets over de bergen [Dutch]
De Roerdomp (1984)
Contents: 8 trips of which 6 in the Alps. Per trip a travelogue. Profiles at the end.
also to Order at: de Vakantiefietser

Kasteel, Ludwig
Französische Alpen, Dauphine.
Stöppel Verlag (1999)
Contents: Mountain Bike routes, color pictures, profiles

Hanspeter Lanig
Die schönsten Alpepässe, Die schönsten Pässe & Touren in Frankreich [German]/ Fietsen in de Alpen [Dutch]
Kosmos (1988/1990) (still available?)
Contents: .. passes with a description (from one side) and a profile. No pictures
Remark: Data not always reliable, especially heights

Dieter Maier
Die schönsten Pässe und Höhenstraßen der Alpen:
Nebel Verlag (2000)
Contents: descriptions (geographical, historical), 200 colorpictures, ..

Maur, Franz auf der; Maur, Brigitte auf der
40 Pass-abenteuer
Werd Verlag (1999)
Contents: walks and bicycle tours over Swiss passes, colorpictures, maps

Alex Polfliet [Belgium]
Fietsen in de Pyreneen {Dutch]
Fietsen in de Franse Alpen [Dutch]
Fontein
Contents: decriptions and profiles of selection of passes

Karl-Heinz Veit [Austria]
Radsport Kompass -Die schönsten Touren Tirol & Vorarlberg [German]
Sportinform Verlag (1989) (still available?)
Contents: 25 routes, per route a description, map and profile

Günter Weires
Über alle Berge auf Passstrassen und Höhenstrassen durch Frankreich
Touristic Verlag (1988)
Contents:?

Publisher
Countries
Language
Description

Alpentouren, Austria (own poduction Horst Reinelt)
Alp countries Austria, Germany, Italy, Switserland
German
Information gathered during trips through the Alps of a group of friends started in 1987.
It's far more than just a few holiday photographs. The design is professional.

Contents

General information (campings), Tips, Internal Search
Journeys (=Alpentouren) from 1987: route and diary with photos
Overview Alp passes: alphabetic, by height, chronological, geographical
Per top/pass (=Alpenstrasse):

• Route on the map
• Type, landscape classification (1-5 stars)
• Per climb: starting point(s), type, length, avg. %, max. % (no profile!)
• Short description

Publisher
Countries
Language
Description

Bike-Explorer, Switserland
Switserland
German
CDroms with passes and routes of the high mountaineous part of Switserland, one contains the most of all high, surfaced passes, the others contains 40-60 routes.

Contents

All: photoalbum, information (bicycle shops, tourist links)
Velo-Explorer: 45 Swiss passes
Bike-Explorer: routes
Per Route/Pass:

• Profile route-type: places,start descent/ascent, max.%
  Each point: name and height
• Length, heightdifference, avg.%, max.%
• Estimated time, Traffic, Roadsurface, Views
• Photos, Video (not all)
• Short description