Pyrenees Cols

We take cycling trips to the Pyrenees on a regular basis. Confirmed dates for 2019 will be Saturday 7th September – Saturday 14th September.

These trips are designed for all you “Col Baggers”. We will be based in the lovely town of Bagneres de Luchon, which is a cycling mecca in the Pyrénées as will be explained below.

Bagneres de Luchon is at the centre of the Pyrenees, close to the Spanish border. Famous cols accessible from the town centre include:

Superbagneres – a 19km climb (HC)
Hospice de France – a 12km climb (Cat 1)
Col du Portillon – a 12 km climb to the Spanish border (Cat 1)
Col de Peyresourde – a 15km climb (Cat 1)
Port de Bales – a 19km climb (HC)
Col de Mente – a 13km climb (Cat 1)

Further afield, but still rideable from town you will find The Col d’Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, Col de Portet and the Portet d’Aspet to name just a few.

This really is an outstanding area for cycling.

Read on to find out details of our trip.

During the week we will take in some of the most famous mountain passes in the Pyrenees, such as the Col du Tourmalet at 2115m, the Col de Portet at 2250m, the Col d’Aspin at 1489m and the Col de Peyresourde at 1563m to name just a few.

Altogether we will ride 17 major cols and climb over 15300m in 6 days. The total distance ridden will be approx. 500km. Most days we will ride approx. 80km and climb approx. 2500m apart from the final day which contains 3000m of climbing.

Overnight accommodation will be in a good quality hotel, serving excellent food. Rooms can be taken on a shared or single basis.

Guests like this trip not only because of the fabulous riding available but also because we have one base for the week and they are not living out of a suitcase and moving to a new hotel each day.

The trip will last 8 days, with 6 days cycling plus a day at each end for travel.

Info/Arrival

Trip Dates: Saturday 7th September – Saturday 14th September 2019

Costs: Single Room: £1495.00 per person / Twin Room: £1295.00 per person.

Please note that the number of single rooms is limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Flights and bike hire (should you require it) will not be included in the cost. We can arrange bike hire for you if required.

Breakfast and dinner in the hotel or a local restaurant will be included in the cost. Wine will be provided with dinner. Lunch is not included.

Support will be provided throughout the trip. A van will accompany you on the ride and will carry drinks, snacks and tools. Two of our guides will accompany you on the road each day.

Any energy bars, drinks or nutritional supplements you require should be brought on the trip by you. Each person has their own preferences and it is best that you bring the products you like.

Saturday 7th September

Arrive in Toulouse and be driven to Bagneres de Luchon where we will enjoy a relaxed dinner in our hotel for the week. You will have time to put your bikes together after the flight or be fitted for hire bikes.

Day 1

Sunday 8th Spetember

Our first day of riding breaks you in gently ahead of some big climbs later in the week.

We will start with an easy ride down the valley for about 16km where we will then climb the short Col des Ares. The climb is a nice gradient of around 6% and is only about 6km long.

After reaching the top of the climb we have a lovely descent in store for us through the woods to the valley on the far side before heading along to our next climb.

The Col de Mente starts at a junction with the Portet d’Aspet. We won’t climb the Portet d’Aspet but it is worth riding the first 500m of it to see the beautiful memorial to Fabio Casartelli who was killed on the descent during the Tour de France in 1995.

After visiting the memorial our route takes us up the Col de Mente. It’s a fairly tough climb of 13km with an average gradient of around 8.5%. For much of it you will be in the sun so it does feel quite hard work.

Fortunately, at the top there is an excellent restaurant where we can refresh and refuel before tackling the last climb of the day.

The descent of the Col de Mente is quite exhilarating, swooping down to St Beat in the valley.

Once we reach St Beat, we will follow the road into Spain and at Bossost, start the final climb of the day the Col du Portillon. After our previous efforts, you will be pleased that the Col du Portillon from the Spanish side is relatively sedate. Averaging 7%, it climbs for 8km until you reach the border at the summit.

We’ll descend the steeper French side back into Luchon for a well earned dinner that evening.

Day 1 Stats: 104km. 2508m ascent

View Map of Day 1

Day 2

Monday 9th September

Our second day’s riding keeps us firmly around Luchon with three climbs that can be tackled straight from the centre of town.

First up is the excellent climb to Superbagneres. This is a 19km climb from town. The first 5km are fairly tough but the gradient calms down to around 7% once we cross the bridge next to the junction for Hospice de France.

The views on this climb are superb and we recommend you lift your head from the road to look over to your left at the mountains. It’s definitely worth a stop for a photo.

At the top of Superbagneres there are a couple of cafes where we can grab some refreshments before the fantastic descent.

Once we reach the junction for Hospice de France, we will take a sharp right and head up there. From here it’s around 7km to the top but there is a very steep section of 12%+ for about 3km of that. However, the rewards at the top will be fabulous views and a welcome lunch in the great restaurant. If you’re lucky the local donkey may even come and share your lunch!

Once we have descended from Hospice de France we find ourselves back in the centre of town again. From here, those willing can tackle the final climb of the day – the Col du Portillon from the French side or call it a day and have an easier afternoon.

If you wish to ride, the Col du Portillon, it’s a ride of two halves. The first part is a comfortable ride but after about 5km the gradient steepens considerably with one particularly nasty section reaching 17% (but only for a few hundred metres). It’s a good ride though and one worth ticking off of your list.

Day 2 stats: 70km. 2360m ascent

View Map of Day 2

Day 3

Tuesday 10th September

Our third day on the road takes us to the highest point of the week – the Col de Portet at 2205m.

Starting from the hotel in Luchon, we will initially ride the 15km climb of the Col de Peyresourde. Coming straight out of town as it does, the Peyresourde can feel quite a tough climb but apart from a short section through the village of Garin, the climb rarely ventures above 8%.

The descent of the Peyresourde is great fun. The first 5km contains very few sharp bends and you can reach some decent speeds if you are a confident descender. Further down there are some hairpins to negotiate but it’s a really nice descent overall.

We will turn off to Loudenvielle and ride around the lake before heading upwards again when we reach the village of Genos. Here we will ride the steep hairpins of Col de Louron-Azet. The climb is 8km long and the first 5km are quite tough at around 9%. Once you reach the top you will have fantastic views across to the Col de Portet, sitting high above St. Lary Soulan.

We’ll stop for some lunch in St Lary Soulan before tackling what I believe is the hardest climb of the week. The road from St Lary, climbs for about 5km at a gradient of around 9 or 10% with barely a bend to soften the blow. Then we reach a junction where you can reach the ski station of Pla d’Adet and this is where we start climbing the slopes of the Col de Portet. From the junction it’s 10km to the top and the gradient averages around 10% all the way. It’s remote up here with just sheep and eagles to keep you company but it’s a really great climb and a terrific sense of achievement once you reach the summit.

The descent is good fun, although you need to watch out for wandering goats near the top.

We’ll jump in the van when we get back to St Lary Soulan and drive back over the Col de Peyresourde to Luchon.

Day 3 stats: 84km. 3073m ascent

View Map of Day 3

Day 4

Wednesday 11th September

Today we will start with a flat ride down the valley to Bagiry, where we will turn to climb up the formidable Port de Bales.

The climb starts easily enough, taking you through the woods alongside a stream for several km. But the overall height gain on this climb is around 1300m and after 7km out of the 21km distance you will have only climbed about 200m, meaning that the next 14km will ride around 1100m.

If that puts you off somewhat, please don’t be. Almost everyone who has been on our Pyrenees tours rate the Port de Bales as one of their favourite climbs. It’s quite tough but is an amazing climb and well worth doing.

The descent back towards Luchon on the other side is also excellent.

Once we reach the junction with the D618 we will ride to the ski village at Peyregudes (Les Agudes). It’s a short but quite tough climb to the village where we will be able to rest and get some refreshments before heading back down to Luchon. Alternatively, you can take an early bath and descend into Luchon for lunch and a restful afternoon rather than ride the second climb to Peyregudes.

Day 4 Stats: 67km. 1601m ascent (without climbing to Peyregudes)

View Map of Day 4

Day 5

Thursday 12th September

We’ll start today’s ride in a familiar way by riding over the Col de Peyresourde and descend down to Arreau.

Our route from Arreau will take us up the Hourquette d’Ancizan – one of our favourite climbs in the Pyrenees. Only about 8km long, the climb winds it’s way up through the forest before topping out above one of the most beautiful plateaux in the Pyrenees.

We’ll then descend to the lake at Payolle where we can stop for lunch at one of the many restaurants.

A short 5km climb up the western side of the Col d’Aspin follows before we hit Arreau again where we will jump into the van for the ride back to Luchon.

Day 5 stats: 82km. 2635m ascent

View Map of Day 5

Day 6

Friday 13th September

Today is a classic day!

We will tackle three classic Tour de France climbs – in fact the first 3 mountains ever climbed in the Pyrenees during the race.

We need to get out of Luchon and head west, meaning that once again, our old friend the Col de Peyresourde awaits us.

After crossing the Peyresourde we dive down to Arreau and begin the 12km climb of the Col d’Aspin. Don’t be fooled by the relatively flat first 2km in the woods, this climb rears up to 8% and never lets go. The payback though are spectacular views over your left shoulder down to the valley.

The descent of the Aspin towards St. Marie de Campan is a dream. Quiet roads, not too steep, you can really enjoy a stress free descent.

Once you reach the village, the biggest climb of the week awaits you, The mythical Col du Tourmalet. 17km of uphill, most of it in excess of 8% gradient. It’s a challenge, but one that you will remember for years to come. Reaching the top puts you alongside some of the great riders, having conquered it.

Having worked hard to ride up, you can enjoy the great descent back down to St Marie de Campan, where we will jump in the van for a well earned rest and drive you back to Luchon.

Our final night will be a celebration of a great week’s riding and achievement. We will present some prizes and enjoy a fantastic meal and let the wine flow.

Day 6 stats: 94km. 3174m ascent

View Map of Day 6

Departure

What’s Included

Hotels & Accommodation

All accommodation has been arranged for the dates highlighted in the tour.

Refreshments

The support vehicles will always make itself available to provide you with your refreshments. If you need a water refill on a climb, we will stop in a convenient place to help you out.

Evening Meals

We provide all of the evening meals along with wine either at the hotel or at carefully selected restaurants . Our tours aren’t just about great cycling they’re also about great food.

Airport Transfers

We will pick you up and drop you off at the required airports.

Bike Storage
We understand how much you love your bike and we will do everything we can to help keep them safe. Each hotel we stay at has good quality bike storage and we supply additional chains and padlocks to ensure excellent security.

GPS Routes

As well as having a support rider and support van in close proximity we will also provide you with the routes so you can load them onto you navigation device. If you don’t have a navigation device we can rent you one locally.

Tools

We carry a comprehensive tool kit in the back of the support vehicle along with a number of basic replacement parts. Each member of our team is capable of helping with bike maintenance and basic repairs. We do advise however that you know how to disassemble and assemble your own bike and have the tools to do so. Please bring spare inner tubes and a puncture repair kit.

What’s Needed:

Fitness

Riding in the mountains is tough and we create our tours to ensure maximum levels of achievement which comes hand in hand with maximum physical exertion. For this reason we recommend a decent level of fitness and motivation. We will happily create routes for any level of fitness and experience so if you have any concerns please feel free to contact us, together we can come up with the best possible options to suit your needs.

Bike

For these tours we suggest that you bring your own bike. While we can advise you on hiring a bike in France it is generally better that you have your own. You need to be comfortable on your bike for long periods of time.

Helmet

We expect you to wear a helmet at all times while riding.

Clothing

Please bring appropriate clothing. The climbs can be hot but the long fast descents can get cold especially if you are damp from the hard climb. Extra layers can be kept in the support vehicle so that you don’t have to carry them but please ensure that you bring good quality kit.

It is also advisable to bring good sun protection.

Col de Peyresourde

Highest point of the week. Col de Portet 2250m

Le Geant du Tourmalet marks the top of the climb

Pyrenees Cols

Trip Dates: Saturday 7th September – Saturday 14th September 2019

Saturday 7th September

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