Pyrenees question - when do the roads open?

waltho bum gravy
waltho bum gravy Posts: 153
edited June 2009 in Tour & expedition
Does anyone know a website that will show the dates that the roads to the cols in the Pyrenees open? Which dates would the roads usually be expected to open?

Comments

  • megilleland
    megilleland Posts: 786
    This French website has all the mountain passes listed as open or closed. There is an English version, but it is not working at the moment.
    The more you spend - the faster you go - the less you see.
  • dilemna
    dilemna Posts: 2,187
    Megilleland that is a very useful site, thanks.
    Life is like a roll of toilet paper; long and useful, but always ends at the wrong moment. Anon.
    Think how stupid the average person is.......
    half of them are even more stupid than you first thought.
  • waltho bum gravy
    waltho bum gravy Posts: 153
    Thanks, very useful. The cols I am looking at are all open. Hooray!
  • shawman
    shawman Posts: 76
    A blog with photos of the cols in Hautes Pyrénées.

    http://www.velopeloton.com/what'snew.htm
  • geoff_ss
    geoff_ss Posts: 1,201
    Not sure what the official dates are but it will vary with weather. We were in St Marie de Campan a week or two later than this last May/June and whilst the Aspin was open the Tourmalet was not.

    We'd hoped to ride up the Tourmalet as far as the snow but what had been a night of heavy rain where we were camped (in a camper van I'm afraid :)) had fallen as snow at the top of the Col. We could easily see it from the valley.

    We had dreadful weather last year much of our 4 week trip in Spain/France.

    Geoff
    Old cyclists never die; they just fit smaller chainrings ... and pedal faster
  • Peak Times
    Peak Times Posts: 81
    We have guys staying with us at the moment who are doing the Raid. Most cols open but the Aubisque was closed with a large slide blocking one side of a tunnel on the decent. Tourmalet closed also.

    Closer to home, Aspin, Peyresourde, Portillon, Mente, Aspet all open.
    www.peak-times.com

    Independent or supported cycling holidays in the French Pyrenees
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    Isn't the Aubisque notorious for landslides? It was the only col not open when I went last weekend in May 08. Unfortunately I had to go back in September to ride it :lol::lol:
  • waltho bum gravy
    waltho bum gravy Posts: 153
    Aubisque was open but not the route to the Soulour when we went. Thanks for all your help though it was a great trip.
  • cycladelic
    cycladelic Posts: 641
    The col d'Aubisque is still officially closed but I rode over it to col Soulor this afternoon. The road is clear of snow and debris.... I just wheeled by bike around the barrier.
    It's an uphill climb to the bottom
  • shawman
    shawman Posts: 76
    Yes the road is clear but there is still hundreds of millions of tons of snow on the mountain above it. You are taking a chance with your life cycling across this road. The local government have the barriers closed for a reason. Also there is the danger to those who will have to go rescue you. Over 30 people die in the Pyrénees of weather related accidents each year.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Odds on Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin, Luz Ardiden, Port de Bales, perysourde etc etc being open in time for the 10th of June? Make me happy people!
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • shawman
    shawman Posts: 76
    All the cols in Hautes Pyrenees are open now, except Tourmalet and Aubisque. They will all be open by 10th June. At the moment the Tourmalet is open from the east and the Aubisque from the west.
  • Garrigou
    Garrigou Posts: 145
    Went over Port de Bales yesterday. Bit of a 'bomb site' on the Mauleon side - fallen trees, big lumps of rock the size of phone boxes - but no snow other than on the roadside and no traffic cos the 'phone box rock' means the Route Barre signs are up for the cars.
    9 consecutive days of sunshine on the weather forecasts, so Tourmalet should open 'on time' with any luck.
    Between me & Eddy Merckx we've won pretty much everything worth winning on a bike.
  • cycladelic
    cycladelic Posts: 641
    I went over the Tourmalet 2 days ago - going up there were lumps of snow on the road near the top, but it was clear on the other side.
    It's an uphill climb to the bottom
  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    Good stuff. I booked my flight at the weekend for 12th June, can't wait :D . Hopefully the Tourmalet will be open as the Pyreneenne sportive goes over it on the 13th!
  • Garrigou
    Garrigou Posts: 145
    Tourmalet above La Mongie open to bikes, but not to cars yet, apparently. Perfect! And the cafe has re-opened too. Have a good 'un.
    Between me & Eddy Merckx we've won pretty much everything worth winning on a bike.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    APIII wrote:
    Good stuff. I booked my flight at the weekend for 12th June, can't wait :D . Hopefully the Tourmalet will be open as the Pyreneenne sportive goes over it on the 13th!

    That was why was hoping it was open!
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent

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