A beautiful road through a scenic valley to Col de Peyresourde
Col de Peyresourde is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.569m (5,148ft) above the sea level, located in the central Pyrenees, in France.
The paved road to the summit is called D618 and links Bagnères de Luchon and Arreau. The col links the Aure and Louron valleys and the summit is the department border between Haute-Garonne and Haute-Pyrenees. The climb gives you clear views to the surrounding mountains all the way up. It’s a beautiful climb through a scenic valley, but the highlight is definitely the final couple of kilometres up fantastic hairpins.
The pass has been climbed multiple times by the Tour de France bicycle race. Flatter sections less than 3% are interspersed with steeper grades, generally under 8%, making it easier than many other Pyrenees climbs. There are 2 possible routes to reach the summit. Starting from Bagnères de Luchon, the ascent is 15.27 km. long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 939 meters (an average of 6.1%). The steepest sections are 9.8%. East side has a steady gradient around 7-8% and a few short steep sections around 11% and 14%. And starting from Armenteule, the climb is 8.3 km. long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 629 meters (an average of 7.6%).The west side from Avajan starts with low gradients to a dip and then a steep mid section up to 11.4%, but eases off for the last half.