Puerto de Bujaruelo, an iconic road in the Pyrénées
Puerto de Bujaruelo (Port de Boucharo) is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.278m (7,473ft) above the sea level, located on the Spanish-French border. The last part of road to the summit is blocked to vehicles with big rocks. The climb starts from Col des Tentes.
Located in the Pyrénées mountain range, the pass, also known as Port de Gavarnie, links the province of Huesca, in Aragon, in north of Spain and the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France. Accessibility is largely limited to the summer season (between May and November). Adverse weather conditions are common.
There are 2 routes to reach the summit. On the French side, the road to the summit is paved. It’s called D-923. It’s narrow and steep with a few hairpin turns. Starting from the town of Gavarnie, the ascent is 12.4km. Over this distance the elevation gain is 895 meters. The average gradient is 7.21%. The last 1.6 km of the road are blocked by a barrier (only bikes and pedestrians allowed). There’s a parking lot on the summit, at the end of the road. High risk of rock slides. On the Spanish side, the pass is accessed via a mule track, starting from Sant Nicolau de Buixaruelo.