Col/Climb |
Side |
Length
(km) |
Avg gradient
(%) |
Max gradient
(%) |
Summit
facilities |
Distance from
PyrActif to foot of climb (km) |
Rider's view |
Link to Col Profile diagram |
Ares |
East
(from Aspet) |
6.2 |
4.6 |
7 |
Adventure centre cafe
in season |
21 |
Superb 'tempo'
climb, great as an intro to Pyrenean cols or as a warm-up ride |
|
Ares |
West
(from Fronsac) |
8.2 |
4.0 |
8 |
7 |
Steady
gradient throughout; great warm-up climb; superb views from loook-out point
at half way |
|
Aspin |
East
(from Arreau) |
12 |
6.3 |
10 |
None |
40 |
A
Tour de France regular, the more spectacular side, both in terms of
difficulty and views. Superb descent this side, blending sweeping hairpins
with long, fast straights. |
|
Aspin |
West
(
from St Marie) |
13 |
5.5 |
8 |
66 |
Straightforward
to Payolle (2 cafes), then starts to rise. Good tree cover helps shade in hot
weather, but reduces the views. |
|
Aubisque |
East
(from Argeles
Gazost) |
26 |
4.9 |
9 |
Cafe
and shop (in season) |
83 |
Long,
long, long! But some truly epic scenery. One of the greatest of the Tour
'monuments'. The average gradient is deceptive as it includes a downhill
stretch of 3km after summiting the Soulor. |
|
Aubisque |
West
(from Laruns) |
18.4 |
6.5 |
14 |
124 |
The
'climbers' side'. A real tester. Road tightens in the last few kms. Beware of
descending traffic. Savour the grandeur of views on a par with any mountain
road in Europe. |
|
Azet |
(from St Lary) |
9.2 |
8.5 |
10 |
None |
55 |
Under-rated
and under-ridden. This is a bit of a hidden gem, with some tricky sections
through the villages and a superb view of Pla d'Adet across the valley. If
you like hairpins, the descent on the far side is a dream. |
|
Azet |
(from Genos) |
8.1 |
8.0 |
10 |
50 |
A
twisting, wriggling helter skelter of a climb. Hairpin after hairpin can be
disorientating, so go easy on the narrower roads if you go over the top to
descent to St Lary. |
|
Bagargui |
(from Larrau) |
12.3 |
5.7 |
12.5 |
None |
170 |
Rarely
ridden (unless you tackled the 2003 Etape), this one is as tough as old
boots. A downhill start after a false summit simply stocks up 'punishments
yet to come'! 5km with nothing below 9% and much in double digits will leave
your legs delighted by the 7.5% final kilometre. A Last Hurrah on our Pro
Strength Coast-to-Coast trip. |
|
Bales (see
Port de Bales) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beyrede |
East
(from
Sarrancolin) |
12 |
6.3 |
11 |
Auberge
in season |
35 |
Both
sides suffer a little from sketchy road surfaces, but the climbs make for
interesting alternatives from the much-ridden Aspin which links the same two
valleys as the Beyrede. Careful on the cattle grids. |
|
Beyrede |
West (from Payolle) |
12 |
5.8 |
9 |
58 |
Burdincurutcheta |
(from St Jean) |
19.2 |
5.0 |
12 |
None |
198 |
After
a surprisingly mild first 10km, the road rears up mercilessly. Kilometres of
10,12,10 & 11% ensue making the remaining 5km at 7% seem like a
cake-walk. |
|
Chioula |
South
(from Ax les
Thermes) |
10 |
7.0 |
9 |
None |
140 |
Tougher
than many of its better-known neighbours, the Chioula suffers from lack of
Tour exposure (only 4 appearances) but lacks nothing in terms of riding
enjoyment. A good challenge from bottom to top, with breathtaking views as
your reward. |
|
Core |
East
(from Seix) |
14.3 |
5.9 |
8 |
None |
76 |
A
good, solid Cat 2 col from either side. The road surface can seem a little
'heavy' without being potted or uneven and even the views seem 'workmanlike'
rather than spectacular. |
|
Core |
West
(from Castillon) |
14.4 |
6.4 |
9 |
52 |
|
Crouzette |
South
(from Biert) |
8.5 |
8.0 |
17 |
None |
82 |
Truly
nasty. Only 3km of real pain, but with the closing kms at 12%,13% and 12%,
you may need to be riding your granny gear. Keep going beyond the summit to
the Sommet de Portel for one of the best panoramas in the Pyrenees. |
|
Guzet Neige |
from Col de Latrape |
11 |
7.8 |
9 |
Ski
rersort (inc summer season) |
89 |
Good,
solid climb, perhaps lacking in the visual or gradient drama of some others.
Sit tight and re-live your memories of Robert Millar's 1984 triumph (and his
1988 'defeat from the jaws of victory') on Britain's most successful Tour
climb. |
|
Hautacam |
from Ayros Arbouix |
15.5 |
6.8 |
11 |
None |
82 |
Its
mythology enhanced by inclusion at the end of the cold & wet 2008 Etape
du Tour, Hautacam isn't actually as difficult as some would have you believe
- honest! Superb to ride on a fine day. |
|
Hospice de
France |
from Luchon |
11 |
6.6 |
18 |
Small
mountain refuge |
25 |
Never
heard of it? Ride it and you'll never forget it! 3 final kms to the summit,
averaging 13%, with pitches of 18-19%. No wonder they put a 'Hospice' up
there. |
|
Hourquette
d'Ancizan |
East
(from Ancizan) |
10 |
8.0 |
14 |
None |
47 |
Goes
'bang' straight from the start, with up to 15% sections in the first
kilometre before easing back to 'just difficult'. Around halfway, the road
hugs the mountainside and flattens considerably, affording you the
opportunity to take in the superb panorama off to the right. The 'toy town'
villages below simply accentuate the magnificence of the 'massif' backdrop. |
|
Hourquette
d'Ancizan |
West
(from Payolle) |
10 |
4.6 |
7.5 |
58 |
Whilst
there are 500m of poor road surface as you leave the Payolle valley, it's
worth the detour if you've ridden the Aspin plenty of times before. From this
side, the Hourquette is one of those deceptive climbs with a long downhill
section hidden half way up. Scenery akin to the Scottish highlands makes for
a very enjoyable ride. |
|
Jau |
East
(from Prades) |
25 |
4.5 |
9 |
None |
215 |
Long
and draggy, without ever reaching 'frightening' status. Good intermediate
climb as preparation for tougher challenges ahead. |
|
Jau |
West
(from St
Colombe) |
13.5 |
6.0 |
11 |
175 |
Deceptive
average gradient hides 3 nasty kms at 10-11% just before mid-way. Tree-lined
upper slopes provide welcome shade on a hot day. |
|
Larrieu |
East
(from Chein
Dessus) |
4.5 |
6.8 |
11 |
None |
35 |
Steady
and manageable. A solid 'Category 3'. Worth a visit on the way home from St
Girons if you don't fancy the Portet d'Aspet |
|
Larrieu |
West
(from Aspet) |
6 |
3.8 |
13 |
24 |
Oddball
col, featuring flat shelves in between 9-13% ramps. Several false summits, so
keep plugging until you reach the summit sign. |
|
Luz Ardiden |
from Luz St Sauveur |
14 |
7.0 |
9 |
Ski
resort (inc summer season) |
99 |
The
'Alpe d'Huez' of the Pyrenees. 1010m of height gain in 14km (compared to the
Alpe's 1070m in 13km) and with 30 hairpins (to the Alpe's 21) this is a
cycling photographer's heaven and a wonderful, technical descent. |
|
Marie Blanque |
East
(from Bielle) |
14 |
4.2 |
9 |
None |
117 |
All
the 'action' comes in the first half of the climb, with the second half
significantly easier. Exceptionally pretty countryside, reminiscent of the
finest Scottish glens. This is the better side to descend on. |
|
Marie Blanque |
West
(from Escot) |
10 |
7.4 |
13 |
138 |
Just
keeps getting steeper and steeper. First kms at 4 & 5%, become middle
sections at 7-8% and three finishing kms at 11, 12, 11%. Few hairpins to
provide any relief; this is a real toughy. |
|
Marmare |
East
(from Belcaire) |
10.5 |
4.9 |
7 |
None |
148 |
Relatively
gentle and uneventful, this side of the Marmer makes for an excellent
descent. |
|
Marmare |
West
(from Luzenac) |
16.7 |
4.5 |
6 |
133 |
Steady
and solid; a good warm up for stiffer challenges, with the benefit of very
quiet roads and a superb Cathar château to distract you from the leg work. |
|
Mente |
East
(from Aspet) |
8 |
6.7 |
11 |
Cafe
(in season) |
28 |
A
classic climb. Twisty, steep in places, with lots of history, decent summit
facilities and one of the best descents around down into St Beat. Avergae
gradient is deceptive; the last 6.5kms actually rise at 8.5%. |
|
Mente |
West
(from St Beat) |
9.7 |
8.7 |
11 |
13 |
Even
more challenging and dramatic from this side, we have a slight preference for
climbing the other side, simply because this side makes such a stunning
descent. |
|
Nistos Cap
Neste |
from Nistos |
17 |
6.1 |
13 |
None
except in winter |
25 |
Rugged
and demanding dead-end climb to a minor ski station. Road surface can be a
little below par compared to other French roads and this can just take the
shine off the descent as you need to search for the grip. |
|
Peguere |
off Col de Port |
3.5 |
11.4 |
16 |
None |
90 |
By
common consent, one of the four toughest stretches of tarmac in the French
Pyrenees (along with the final 3kms of each of the Crouzette, Marie Blanque
and Hospice de France). Crazy steep. Mountain goats only, need apply. |
|
Peyresourde |
East
(from Luchon) |
15 |
6.2 |
10 |
Excellent
cafe; legendary crepes! |
24 |
Tour
classic. Ramps up early on out of Luchon and with the odd flat section
through the villages it just keeps grinding away at 6-8%. Superb views back
down the valley from the final few hairpins. |
|
Peyresourde |
West
(from Borderes) |
8 |
7.2 |
10 |
48 |
Another
'grinder'. Your legs are softened up a little by the draggy 10kms out of
Arreau to the foot and whilst there's nothing much in double digit gradients,
you'll still be very pleased to reach the charming cafe at the top. |
|
Pla d'Adet |
from St Lary |
10.8 |
8.1 |
14 |
Ski
resort (inc summer season) |
55 |
Chapeau
Mr Hincapie! How a 'not-a-specialist-climber' managed to win a 2005 Tour
stage up here is something to marvel at. From miles away you can see (and be
sacred by) the slope of the road cut into the mountainside. Some of the lower
sections reach 14-15% and there are several kms over 10%. Not for the
faint-hearted, but magnificent sumit views. |
|
Plateau de
Beille |
from Les Cabanes |
16 |
7.9 |
11 |
Ski
resort (seasonal) |
126 |
Once
described by Lance Armstrong as 'an infringement of my human rights', this is
a brute. Unrelenting and with the long, straight ramps which can be so
demoralising, the rewards lie in the summit views and a genuine sense of
achievement in getting to the top. |
|
Port |
East
(from Tarascon) |
17.5 |
4.5 |
8 |
Cafe |
116 |
Solid,
slightly unspectacular Cat 2 stuff. The Port is a Tour regular, but as a
'transition' col rather than being one of those on which stages are won and
lost. Views and cafe at the summit make for a pleasant stop-off point. |
|
Port |
West
(from Massat) |
12.5 |
5.0 |
8 |
85 |
As
with the East, the gradients are manageable rather than dramatic. The West is
the better climb and the East the better descent. |
|
Portet d'Aspet |
East
(from Audressein) |
18 |
3.2 |
10 |
Cafe |
50 |
The
long, 'easy' side of the Portet d'Aspet. Innocuous for 12km before a steep
finish, it picks its way through some pretty villages and is a good way to
test you r legs before tackling the Cat 1 and HC alternatives. |
|
Portet
d'Aspet |
West
(
from Aspet) |
5 |
8.8 |
17 |
27 |
Site
of the tragic death of 1994 Olympic Champion, Fabio Casartelli in the 1995
Tour. Most riders will make pause at the touching monuments (one erected by
the Tour organisers, the other by Casartelli's family) near the foot of the
climb, before pressing on to tackle the 17% mid-section which guards the
summit from the feeble-legged. |
|
Port de Bales |
North (from Mauleon) |
19.1 |
6.2 |
14 |
None |
11 |
Newly
tarmacced especially to allow a first ascent in the 2007 Tour. This climb
became the graveyard of hundreds of Etape riders' hopes on a fiercely hot day
in July 2007. Already sapped by three previous cols and with the Peyresourde
still to come, many simply could not overcome the Bales' steepest sections
and melting tarmac. 50% of the field abandoned or were 'broom-waggoned' in
one of the toughest Etapes on record. |
|
Port de Bales |
South (from Luchon) |
20.2 |
5.7 |
12 |
24 |
The
less popular climbing side (partly because of the epic nature of the Mauleon
side; partly because the Luchon side offers a much better descent).
Nevertheless, its HC status is well deserved and the sumit views are, again,
outstanding. |
|
Port de
Pailheres |
East (from Usson) |
15 |
8.0 |
12 |
None |
171 |
You
simply cannot ride to 2000m altitude 'for free'. And the climb to the port de
Pailheres is no exception to that rule. A 5km section avergaing 9.5% between
halfway and the (thankfully) 6% final km is enough to leave mere mortals in
shreds. Epic in every sense. |
|
Port de
Pailheres |
West (from Ax les
Thermes) |
18 |
7.0 |
13 |
138 |
The
'easy' side, averaging 'only' 7% (ha, ha). But a withering final 5km at 9.7%
makes you wish the lower slopes had been a little tougher to provide some
respite before the summit. A monster of a climb. |
|
Portillon |
from Luchon |
8.9 |
7.0 |
13 |
None |
25 |
Usually
ridden as an 'up and back' to avoid descending onto the heavily-trafficed
main road into Spain, the climb is a real charmer, with decent road surfaces,
varying gradients and another good descent. |
|
Saraille |
from Biert |
5.5 |
6.5 |
11 |
None |
82 |
Short
but sweet, this stiffish little col makes an excellent detour on the ride
between Massat and Oust. |
|
Soulor |
East (from Argeles
Gazost) |
19.3 |
5.4 |
9 |
Cafe |
83 |
Usually
ridden en route to the summit of the Aubisque, the Soulor is, nevertheless, a
demanding climb in its own right. |
|
Soulor |
West (from the
Aubisque) |
6.5 |
N/A |
7 |
103 |
4km
of downhill from the summit of the Aubisque before a short 2.5km section at
around 4-5% back up to the summit of the Soulor. Have fun in the unlit
tunnels! |
|
Superbagneres |
from Luchon |
18.7 |
6.3 |
11 |
Ski
resort (inc summer season) |
25 |
Another
for the Robert Millar fans (he won here the last time the Tour visited in
1989), this is a real beauty. The gradient changes regularly, providing
challenge interspersed with some relief. But you may not notice once you're
above the tree-line as some of the best views in the Pyrenees reveal
themselves. tremendous descent. |
|
Tourmalet |
East (from St Marie) |
17 |
7.5 |
12 |
Cafe
& shop |
63 |
The
first 4-5km at sub-5% fail to prepare youy for the remorselessness of the
following 12km at 8% or more. The Galibier cannot match that 12km section,
nor the Ventoux, nor Alpe d'Huez. So, as they say..."come and have a go
if you think you're hard enough!" |
|
Tourmalet |
West (from Luz St
Sauveur) |
18.2 |
7.9 |
10 |
99 |
The
grand-daddy of Pyrenean climbs. 1400m of height gained; not a single km at
less than 6%; a 10% final kilometre and a 13% final ramp. Refreshments at the
historic summit cafe with its wall-mounted antique bikes, are well earned. |
|
Val Louron |
see Col d'Azet |
|
|
|
None |
|
|
|
