Further information about the Club des Cent Cols

 

Our ethos

Our ethos is to bring together cyclists with a passion for the mountains and for mountain cycling, and to promote friend ship and acquaintance witht hose we meet climbing the cols of the world. Belonging to our Club implies a friendly, welcoming, and non-competitive attitude in all dealings between members.

We devote ourselves exclusively to mountain cycling, and to col climbing.  Each member submits an annual list of their climbing achievements – no proof is required, as these lists rely solely on the word of each member.

Our Club rule (“règle du jeu“)

The six articles of our main Club Rule are set out clearly for anyone seeking to become a Club member.  These articles are explained in more detail in the document “Rules of the Game”

Within our rules, a “col” is defined by its topographical character.  It is never a hill-top or mountain summit.  Not every climb, no matter how long or difficult, will necessarily lead to a col.  The Club sets out its own precise definition of a col within its “Règle du Jeu”, knowing that other definitions may exist elsewhere.

Our organisation

Our Club complies with the 1901 French law for non-profit making associations.  We are affiliated to the Fédération Française de Cyclotourisme (FFCT), with club number 6384, and we can secure FFCT licences for those who wish.

We don’t want to divert membership away from other clubs – on the contrary we hope that our members will also remain with their long-standing clubs where relevant.  Although our Club originated in the Savoie, we don’t have any fixed regional association.  We also aim to include members from different countries and speaking various languages.

The Club is managed by a central Committee (“Conseil d’Administration”) composed of at least three, and at most eleven, member selected by all paid-up members for a four-year term.  It meets at least twice each year.  The Committee is supported by groups of volunteers, all of whom have jobs essential for the running of the Club.

Amongst these volunteers are the Territorial and National Delegates of the Club, each responsible for a specific geographical zone.  They act as intermediaries between the Club and its members; and their role is to promote Club activity within their zone and provide all necessary help and support to zone members.

An Information Group, composed of expert members, looks after the Club website, and the information systems and data-sharing tools related to the club membership and the club catalogues.

Our catalogues

The Club produces a range of catalogues, freely available to all its members, of the cols of the whole world.  Through these catalogues the Club offers an unrivalled service to support those planning trips to the most beautiful mountain regions of the world – the Alps, the Pyrenees, even the Rockies!

A Working Party in each country has established the catalogue of cols for that country, each col approved according to our “Règle du Jeu”.  This has resulted, to date, in 26 different catalogues, covering more than 60,000 cols in 31 countries.  These catalogues are continually evolving, and volunteers are always welcome to help keep them up to date.

Our revue

Our annual “Revue” is the work of an editor-in-chief, of an editing committee, and of numerous contributors amongst the membership.  It also includes the “Tableau d’Honneur”, listing members’ achievements over the course of the year, and reflecting the diversity and dynamism of our membership.

Our boutique

Our boutique shop provides a range of clothing in the Club colours, a range which was comprehensively revised in 2018.  Other useful objects, with the Club logo, are also on sale.

Our activities

Each Club member can organise their own cycling activity, as and where they please.  But the Club also organises numerous joint activities for members’ benefit:

• Our holidays (“séjours”):

  We organise three annual séjours in the different mountain regions of western Europe, in the spring, the summer and autumn.  At the end of the summer séjour, an international Club gathering gives members the chance to enjoy a  friendship ceremony of speeches and refreshments.  The autumn séjour is linked to the Club’s Annual General Meeting in November.

• Our regional meetings:

  On the initiative of local organisers or Club members, numerous regional meetings are held throughout the year in different regions or countries.  These meetings give local members a chance to meet up, and are also open to non-members seeking to join the Club.

• Our long-distance trails (“randonnées permanentes”):

  These long-distance trails cover a region or a country, and all include at least 100 cols on a route chosen by the local organiser. Participants can start or finish where and when they please.  There are 17 trails in existence at present.

• Our “brevets”:

  To obtain a Club brevet, you must cross all the road cols in a department, a canton, a county or a province, no matter how many that may be.  National brevets for whole countries can also be awarded.  (These brevets are still being developed, and a link will be provided when they have been finalised)

• Our challenges:

  These are special challenges devised by Club members – each has its own special theme and characteristic.

All these activities, except for the Club séjours, are open to non-members, and are an excellent way of meeting other participants and qualifying for Club membership.