{"id":82156,"date":"2019-08-01T18:42:37","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T16:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centcols.org\/challenge-des-cols-routiers-situes-sur-les-lignes-de-partage-des-eaux-inter-mer-des-alpes\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T16:38:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T14:38:06","slug":"challenge-des-cols-routiers-situes-sur-les-lignes-de-partage-des-eaux-inter-mer-des-alpes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centcols.org\/en\/challenge-des-cols-routiers-situes-sur-les-lignes-de-partage-des-eaux-inter-mer-des-alpes\/","title":{"rendered":"Challenge of the road passes located on the \"Alps inter-sea watersheds\"."},"content":{"rendered":"

G\u00e9rard Galland offers us this challenge:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climb all the road passes on the five main LPEs in the Alps: 1 - North Sea\/Adriatic, 2 - Western Mediterranean\/Adriatic, 3 - North Sea\/Western Mediterranean, 4 - North Sea\/Black Sea, 5 - Black Sea\/Adriatic. 80<\/em> passes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several countries concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This challenge is open to members and non-members of the Club des Cent Cols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact: <\/span>
Registration form PDF format<\/a>      Word format<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Objectives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The aim of this challenge is also to encourage participants to take a detailed look at the areas they visit in terms of the Alps' hydrographic network, and in particular to take an interest in the future course of the water flowing on either side of the passes they climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term LPE (Ligne de partage des eaux - watershed) is mentioned in the comments to article 2 of our rules of the game, extract: \u00aba named place<\/em><\/u> on a cadastral map..... with a heading evoking a pass<\/u>, responds to<\/u> RDJ<\/u>, subject to .... it is located on an EPL<\/u> \".
<\/em>A watershed<\/strong> refers to a geographical boundary that divides an area into two catchment areas: on either side of the line, water flows into two different streams, or even two rivers, seas or oceans.
Dividing line means separation<\/strong>. Often a border - political, linguistic ... follows a watershed. Fortunately, communication is possible thanks to the crossing points ... these crossing points<\/strong> have a name: \u00ab Passes<\/strong> \".<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Alps<\/strong> are considered to be Europe's water tower; the main European rivers have their sources here. They feed 4 catchment areas and 4 seas: the North Sea<\/strong> (with the Rhine and its tributaries), the Western Mediterranean<\/strong> (with the Rh\u00f4ne and its tributaries, the Var, the Roya, and the coastal rivers of the Liguria), theAdriatic<\/strong> (with the Po and its tributaries, the Adige, the Piave, the Tagliamento and the So\u010da) and the Black Sea<\/strong> (with tributaries of the Danube).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 2 hydrographic tripoints<\/strong> (a hydrographic tripoint is a point where three catchment areas<\/a>) the Witenwasserenstock (Rhone - Rhine - Po) and the Pass Lunghin (Rhine - Po - Danube), both located in Switzerland, we can define 5 watersheds in the alps<\/a> :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between the two tri-points :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. LPE North Sea - Adriatic<\/a> (almost entirely in Switzerland, with a short stint in Italy)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"
    Spl\u00fcgen Pass (photo G\u00e9rard Galland)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Starting from the Witenwasserenstock :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. LPE Western Mediterranean - Adriatic<\/a> (in Switzerland, Italy and France)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"
      col du Grand Saint-Bernard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    2. LPE North Sea - Western Mediterranean<\/a> (entirely in Switzerland)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"
      Col de Chaude (photo G\u00e9rard Galland)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Starting from Piz Lunghin :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. LPE North Sea - Black Sea<\/a> (in Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \"\"
        Albula Pass (photo by Daniel Cattin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        5. LPE Black Sea - Adriatic<\/a> (in Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Slovenia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \"\"
        Val and Forcola di Livigno (photo Lucien Chevalier)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        Descriptions of the watersheds and passes located on these watersheds are available via the links above. A slide show with maps and photos taken at the main passes is also available in conjunction with these articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Another approach is to focus on the  main\" Atlantic-Mediterranean watershed (LPE A\/M)<\/strong> which, from the Czech Republic through the Sudeten Mountains and southern Germany, crosses the Alps (LPE 4, 1 and 3 above) and continues west and south into the Jura and then the Massif Central before crossing the Pyrenees, Spain and Morocco. This approach amounts to considering the Western Mediterranean, the Adriatic and the Black Sea as a single sea. It makes the Western Mediterranean - Adriatic EPL (EPL 2) a \"second-order\" EPL... despite the fact that it passes by the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Mont Thabor and Mont Saccarel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Extensive documentation on this \"main\" EPL is available on the  the \"Ligne de Partage\" association<\/a>  which was set up in 2014 with \"the aim of developing all activities related to the watershed between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea (known as the 'A\/M line')\". A recently-created \"By bike too\" page is dedicated to crossing the EPL by bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Rather than endlessly increasing the number of mountain passes climbed, many of us prefer to achieve a geographically or culturally defined goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The challenge  the \"inter-sea\" watersheds in the Alps<\/strong> is to invite participants to visit the passes located on these EPLs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        We thought it would be interesting to offer this Challenge to non-members of the Club des Cent Cols, so that they can start a \"collection of passes\" in the heart of the Alps. To this end, we are providing them with our expertise on the passes and making sophisticated computer tools available to them. In this way, we hope to promote the joys and pleasures of discovery and travel by bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        How the challenge works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        The Club des Cent Cols created the Challenge des Lignes de Partage des Eaux \" inter-mer \" des Alpes (LPEA) (Alpine watershed challenge)<\/strong> whose objective is to cross all the road passes located on these LPEs. These are :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        1 -LPE North Sea \/ Adriatic<\/a><\/td>4 passes<\/td><\/tr>
        2 - LPE Western Mediterranean \/ Adriatic<\/a><\/td>27 passes<\/td><\/tr>
        3 - LPE North Sea \/ Western Mediterranean<\/a><\/td>17 passes<\/td><\/tr>
        4 - LPE North Sea\/Black Sea<\/a><\/td>9 passes<\/td><\/tr>
        5 -LPE Black Sea \/ Adriatic<\/a><\/td>23 passes<\/td><\/tr>
        Total (LPE Alpes)<\/strong><\/td>80 bottles<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        The passes are those listed in the pass catalogues of the Confr\u00e9rie des Cent Cols in the countries concerned on the date of registration for the challenge. They are listed at the end of this document and in the excel table described below. This is used to declare the passes. It is sent to participants when they register.
        The passes can be climbed in any order (but in accordance with the 100 passes club game rules)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        When the challenge was launched, 78 passes on the LPEs of the Alps were listed in the catalogues. In 2020, the Col de Gourze (<\/span><\/em>CH-VD-0799<\/em><\/a><\/span>)<\/span> and in 2022, Le Basset <\/em>(CH-VD-<\/em>0<\/em>683<\/em><\/a>)<\/span> <\/em>have been added to the Swiss catalogue. They have been included in the challenge (July 2022).<\/em>
        For participants registered before 2022, the challenge includes climbing all 78 passes (the Col de Gourze and the Basset are optional but recommended).<\/em>
        For entries received from July 2022 onwards, the number of passes to be climbed is 80.<\/em><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The descriptive articles (see links in the objectives section) suggest routes that will enable you to reach the various LPE passes as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Passes climbed before the challenge was created are taken into account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n