Challenge du “Septentrion”

Bernard Pommel (CC3094) offers us this challenge:

Climb all the cols to the north of a line joining Hendaye (FR) to Devin (-Stralsund-DEDE), i.e. 99 cols including 76 road cols and 23 off-road, spread over 5 countries.

Three other lines (Hendaye – Dunkirk (FR), Hendaye – Bremerhaven (DE), and Hendaye -Travemünde (DE) allow the Challenge du Septentrion to be subdivided into 4 sectors and 4 levels of success.

This challenge is open to members and non-members of the Club des Cent Cols.

Contact : septentrion@centcols.org

Goals

The creation of the Septentrion Challenge of the Club des Cent Cols obeys several objectives largely determined by listening to the members of the Club des Cent Cols, by observing particular or original riding practices of certain cyclists and finally by the precepts of the cycletourism.

One of these objectives is to rebalance the interest of climbing cols in geographic areas thathave little compared to the high mountain ranges (Alps, Pyrenees, etc.), generally more numerous in cols in our catalogues.

Rather than the infinite increase in the number of cols, many of us have long been committed to the achievement of a geographically or culturally determined goal. The Challenge du Septentrion was inspired by this.

Encouraging the discovery of new landscapes and places by the desire to travel the small roads in search of rarer, or more confidential or secret cols, is to transmit the spirit of cycletourism.

It seemed interesting to us to also offer this Challenge to non-members of the Club des Cent Cols in order to allow them to start a gentle “collection of cols”, in their home areas or in their holiday destinations, make it flourish at any age according to their desires. We bring them our expertise on the cols of many countries and we provide them with sophisticated IT tools.

By this means, we hope to promote the joys and pleasures of discovery and cycling.

How it works

The Club des Cent Cols has created the Septentrion Challenge, a challenge which is obtained after climbing all the cols contained in a specific geographic section: the North of the Hendaye (FR) – Devin (-Stralsund-DE) line (76 road cols, 24 off road), section itself subdivided into four zones; the cols are those registered in the Club’s col catalogues of the countries concerned at the time of the Challenge’s creation. The number of cols in each geographic area varies by area, the total in the four areas is 99.

When all the cols of an area are climbed, the participant obtains the Bronze level. He obtains the Silver level for climbing all the cols of two zones, Gold for that of three zones, and the Septentrion Challenge (“Platinum”) is obtained when the participant has climbed all the cols of the four zones.

• The challenge is open to members and non-members of the Club des Cent Cols.

• To register for the Challenge, you must: complete the registration form accepting these rules

• The goal of the Challenge is to do all the cols of a given geographical area. The list of cols is established by the Club des Cent Cols according to strict criteria of topography and toponymy.

• Each col climbed in this area is declared as such on the good faith of the participant.

• There is no time limit.

• A patent is granted when all the passes in the area concerned are climbed.

  • The list of Challenge cols in Excel format can be downloaded here.

Please note : the 99 cols listed in this Challenge were all found in various catalogues at the time of the making of the Challenge, and this list is fixed.

If afterwards new editions of the catalogues contain new cols in the Challenge’s zone, these cols will not count for the Challenge.

  • An annual declaration of achievement should be sent in Excel file format to the challenge organiser: septentrion@centcols.org who will check the results and establish the “Roll of Honour”
  • A number will be assigned to each participant in order of inscription
  • A number will also be assigned on reception of a declaration of completion of the Challenge.
  • Participants can print a “Septentrion Challenge -Platinum Diploma” themselves, or have it sent to them by the organiser at a cost of 6 Euros (this sum includes the cost of the special paper, and printing and postage), or receive it by hand at one of the meetings of the Club.
  • A “Roll of Honour” of the holders and participants in each challenge (showing their progress) will be established and will be available for view on the Club’s website.  This list will be published in the Club’s annual Revue, subject to the agreement of the participant.

Description of the challenge zones

The geographic section and the four zones of the Challenge are determined by four straight lines (drawn on a “large circle” on the CCway tool of the Club des Cent Cols) between Hendaye and:

Dunkirk (FR)

Bremerhaven (DE)

Travemünde (DE)

Soothsayer (-Stralsund-DEDE)

The zones are of course located north of the lines.

The relevant cols are those located in Continental Europe.

The border lines of the zones are indicative, and vary according to their means of cartographical creation and representation. What counts is the official list of cols in the Challenge.

Table of the number of passes by zones

Zone 1 – Dunkerque 2 – Bremerhaven 3 – Travemünde 4 – Devin Total
Total général 13 18 18 50 99
France 13 12 6 8 39
Belgique 0 5 3 0 8
Pays Bas 0 1 1 0 2
Allemagne 0 0 7 39 46
Luxembourg 0 0 1 3 4

Table of the difficulty of the passes by zones

Zone 1 – Dunkerque 2 – Bremerhaven 3 – Travemünde 4 – Devin Total
Total général 13 18 18 50 99
Routiers 13 16 16 31 76
Muletiers 0 2 2 19 23

Liste des cols concernés en annexe à la fin du document.

List of extra cols in the Challenge’s zone appearing after its creation (non-Challenge cols) in the annexe at the end of this document.

Rules of the challenge

The challenge is open to members and non-members of the Club des Cent Cols.

• To register for the Challenge, you must: complete the registration form accepting these rules

• The goal of the Challenge is to make all the passes of a given geographical area. The list of passes is established by the Club des Cent Cols according to strict criteria of topography and toponymy.

• Each pass climbed in this area is declared as such on the good faith of the participant.

• There is no time limit.

• A certificate is granted when all the cols in the area concerned are climbed.

Annexe : liste of cols and their zones

Zone N°Zone Nom Code
Dunkerque 1 Col Saint Martin FR-14-0162
Dunkerque 1 Col du Menez-Hom FR-29-0211
Dunkerque 1 Col de Toullaëron
Odé Toull al Laeron
FR-29-0266
Dunkerque 1 Col du Trévézel FR-29-0344
Dunkerque 1 Col de Trédudon
Odé Trédudon
FR-29-0361
Dunkerque 1 Col d’Ardenay FR-49-0075
Dunkerque 1 Col des Ruaudières FR-53-0239
Dunkerque 1 Col de Saint Sulpice FR-53-0246
Dunkerque 1 Col de Berjou FR-61-0226
Dunkerque 1 Col Haut FR-62-0108
Dunkerque 1 Col des Quatre Vents FR-62-0159
Dunkerque 1 Col de la Source FR-72-0243
Dunkerque 1 Col de la Croix Lamare
Col de la Croix de la Mare
FR-72-0273
Bremerhaven 2 Col de la Croix Jubaru BE-WHT-0099
Bremerhaven 2 Col de Suary BE-WNA-0198
Bremerhaven 2 Col du Marly BE-WNA-0205
Bremerhaven 2 Col de la Charlerie BE-WNA-0225
Bremerhaven 2 Col de Ronchinne BE-WNA-0240
Bremerhaven 2 Pas Saint-Rémy FR-02-0123
Bremerhaven 2 Col du Liry FR-08-0295
Bremerhaven 2 Col de Sury FR-08-0297
Bremerhaven 2 Col du Loup FR-08-0383
Bremerhaven 2 Col du Châtain-Besson FR-16-0235
Bremerhaven 2 Col de l’Esse FR-45-0133
Bremerhaven 2 Col de Berthen en Flandre FR-59-0109
Bremerhaven 2 Col du Long Buisson FR-59-0145
Bremerhaven 2 Col des Six Chemins
Col des Cinq Chemins
FR-62-0136
Bremerhaven 2 Col du Manet FR-78-0170
Bremerhaven 2 Col des Sarrazins FR-86-0094
Bremerhaven 2 Col du Chenat FR-86-0229
Bremerhaven 2 Beezerpoort NL-OV-0019
Travemünde 3 Pas Bayard BE-WLX-0329
Travemünde 3 Col du Rideux BE-WLX-0370
Travemünde 3 Trou du Loup BE-WLX-0464
Travemünde 3 Krusenpass DE-NI-0160
Travemünde 3 Walllücke DE-NW-0128
Travemünde 3 Wüsterhöhe DE-NW-0210
Travemünde 3 Kammerforster Höhe DE-NW-0330
Travemünde 3 Schmelzplatz
Franzosenhohl
DE-NW-0335
Travemünde 3 Wolfsplatz DE-NW-0361
Travemünde 3 Kartsteinhöhe DE-NW-0498
Travemünde 3 Col de Cheveuges FR-08-0282
Travemünde 3 Col de la Marfée FR-08-0312
Travemünde 3 Col de Laval FR-10-0181
Travemünde 3 Col du Pilori FR-36-0252
Travemünde 3 Pas de la Mule FR-87-0433
Travemünde 3 Col de la Sablonnade FR-87-0480
Travemünde 3 Sätelchen LU-WI-0360
Travemünde 3 Pas van Wolfhaag NL-LI-0270
Devin 4 Rammelsloch DE-HE-0367
Devin 4 Braunschweiger Tor DE-HE-0375
Devin 4 Haincher Höhe DE-HE-0578
Devin 4 Richtplatz DE-HE-0750
Devin 4 Große Grube DE-HE-0798
Devin 4 Wierser Tor DE-NI-0166
Devin 4 Vorbergsplatz
Luhdener Pass
DE-NI-0204
Devin 4 Nienstedter Pass DE-NI-0276
Devin 4 Lauensteiner Pass DE-NI-0278
Devin 4 Wormsthaler Tor DE-NI-0348
Devin 4 Kreuzplatz
Wülpker Pass
DE-NW-0186
Devin 4 Nammer Pass DE-NW-0187
Devin 4 Oberstehöhe DE-NW-0215
Devin 4 Stürtzplatz DE-NW-0258
Devin 4 Sattel DE-NW-0315
Devin 4 Margarethenhöhe DE-NW-0323
Devin 4 Passhöhe Gauseköte DE-NW-0350
Devin 4 Hexentanzplatz DE-NW-0359
Devin 4 Wilhelmshöhe DE-NW-0372
Devin 4 Wilhelmshöhe DE-NW-0380
Devin 4 Deuzer Höhe DE-NW-0382
Devin 4 Wasserscheide DE-NW-0422
Devin 4 Hexentanzplatz DE-NW-0440
Devin 4 Krombacher Höhe DE-NW-0457
Devin 4 Wasserscheide DE-NW-0485
Devin 4 Passhöhe Stimmstamm DE-NW-0540
Devin 4 Potsdamer Platz DE-NW-0588
Devin 4 Sattelbogen DE-NW-0599
Devin 4 Hömbergsattel DE-NW-0622
Devin 4 Sattel Himmelskrone DE-NW-0641
Devin 4 Rösbergsattel DE-NW-0684
Devin 4 Minenplatz DE-NW-0687
Devin 4 Helleplatz DE-NW-0752
Devin 4 Unterer Burbecker Platz DE-NW-0774
Devin 4 Reiler Hals DE-RP-0204
Devin 4 Blickhauserhöhe DE-RP-0246
Devin 4 Eichenplatz DE-RP-0313
Devin 4 Döttinger Höhe DE-RP-0545
Devin 4 Potsdamer Platz DE-SL-0404
Devin 4 Col de Laléger FR-23-0606
Devin 4 Col du Maupuy FR-23-0631
Devin 4 Col du Rolet FR-24-0194
Devin 4 Col des Etots FR-55-0196
Devin 4 Col du Bouleau FR-55-0327
Devin 4 Col de Scharren FR-57-0340a
Devin 4 Col de la Roche FR-87-0456
Devin 4 Col de Crémant FR-89-0206
Devin 4 Col Lopert LU-DI-0334
Devin 4 Hals LU-ME-0235
Devin 4 Col Schaarfesuebel LU-ME-0368

Annexe : list of 5 cols (as at the end of September 2022) appearing in the Challenge’s zone since its creation (non-Challenge cols).

FR-16-0139Col de la BergèreFR-16-0139
FR-51-0188Col de TrignyFR-51-0188
FR-51-0196Col des AbeillesFR-51-0196
BE-WLX-0468Col de LamormenilBE-WLX-0468
BE-WLX-0488Col de l’HaussireBE-WLX-0488
DE-NW-0465RahrbacherDE-NW-0465
DE-NW-0705ZiegenhellenplatzDE-NW-0705
DE-NW-0275KlingenpassDE-NW-0275

Challenge ranking