2004: Alpencols.nl
In 2003, I started the website Alpencols.nl, the predecessor of Beklimmingen.com. This was a way for me to share my enjoyment of cycling climbs and, at the same time, to develop my skills in website creation, photo editing, and more. The motivation behind it was also that I had found websites of others describing their experiences very helpful in preparing for my own rides. Back then, there was simply less information available, and I wanted to contribute my own experiences to help others.
With the rise of social media, many of these types of sites faded into the background. The free Internet where people enthusiastically shared their own hobbies on creative websites changed as a result. Unfortunately, much was absorbed by Big Tech. What a pity! You won’t find any social media links on my site, and Beklimmingen.com has no Instagram or Facebook page or anything else (and not without reason).
2023: Beklimmingen.com
Of course, I have archived much of my old website alpencols.nl. And after years of cycling hiatus, I’ve taken my road bike back to the Alps. I’ve decided to pick up where I left off by documenting my experiences. I hope to inspire others to undertake such trips themselves because exploring the Alps by bike is simply very rewarding! If you find it useful or have any questions, please leave a comment via the guestbook, and I hope to be able to provide you with an answer.
Focus of the website
I describe my experiences on this site in blog form. I don’t aim for completeness. There are simply too many climbs to cycle them all. For comprehensive statistics, other sites are more useful, such as salite.ch or quaeldich.de. Especially the latter contains a wealth of information and is a great source for finding climbs. However, I have included a map with all the climbs I’ve ridden and provide a route map and elevation profile for each climb (click on ‘details’ in the map).
The photos on the website are mostly taken by myself. For some climbs, I have used stock photos for illustration. The photos I originally took in 2002 to 2004 are sometimes very small, so I have partly replaced them for this reason.
About myself
Chris, residing in Nijverdal near the beautiful Sallandse Heuvelrug. There are also some elevation meters to be made there on the “diepe Hel” and “Motieweg,” albeit modest ones. I am a member of the national cycling club Gaul!. You can find my Strava profile here: Christiaan van Meurs | Beklimmingen.nl | Gaul.nl | Strava fietserprofiel