Lac de Cap-de-Long, one of the highest paved roads in the French Pyrenées

Lac de Cap-de-Long is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.161m (7,089ft) above the sea level, located in Hautes-Pyrénées, a department in southwestern France, part of the Midi-Pyrénées region.

Lac de Cap-de-Long

The road to reach the largest reservoir in the Pyrénées is known as Route des Lacs. It’s one of the highest paved roads in the French Pyrenées – higher than Col du Tourmalet. It’s called D929 and it’s a cul-de-sac climb to a very high beautiful lake. As the cliff road circles around towards the dam, the final stretch climbs some hairpins.

Starting from Saint Lary Soulan, the ascent is 22.68 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 1.341 meters. The average percentage is 5.9 %, hitting a 11.8% through some of the ramps. The lake bends around the northernmost part of the Crête des Alharisses and the summit can be busy in high season with a cafe and numerous great walks.