Pyrenees

Penhydd

Going to the tour this year and wanted to take in Col d'aubisque and then Col de Tourmalet. Not having done this before I have a couple of questions:

1. Is it possible to roll up the day before and find somewhere half decent to camp on the mountain?
2. If not are there informal campsites in the villages / towns?


Any advice appreciated.

phippss

great campsite in the middle of Lourdes and another in Argeles De Gazost on the D921a opposite the supermarket - camping sunelia le 3 vallee

at least it used to be a good one with a bike wash

andrew@snowrace

A good site at lauruns

dilemna

You and 1,000,000 other cyclisti

blorg

I have done those climbs two summers running and although there was no problem with accommodation either time (wasn't camping) I do imagine it is a different story when the tour is going through, there will be an unbelievable number of fans there. As for camping rough, up the mountain might not be the best idea; weather might be fine or it might be horrendous, it is just unbelievably changeable. Even mid-summer you could be very cold at altitude during the night/early morning although probably not so bad on those climbs as they are mostly under 2,000m... tends to rain/hail/snow more at altitude too. There are no campsites actually up those mountains AFAIK; Laruns would be well situated; it is right at the bottom of the climb up the Aubisque- getting to the Tourmalet and back would be a bit of a challenging ride though. Argeles-Gazost arguably even better situated right between the Soulor and the Tourmalet. Lourdes is a bit further away, nothing crazy, around 13km from Argeles-Gazost out of the mountains. If you want to do the Aubisque and the Tourmalet Lourdes would still be better than Laruns I reckon.

matty boy 80

Several campsites in luz st sauvier at the foot of the Tourmalet

dilemna

Don't you just hate it when people post questions then don't bother to come back on and reply with thanks. Makes you think they haven't even bothered to read the replies people have taken time to post to help them. That they have only joined the forum to get a question, and a fairly obvious one at that, answered. Admittedly my reply was brief this time, but others have made a good stab at offering this guy advice.

So Penhydd if you are reading this a reply of thanks would be the least you could do. What you have decided to do would be a welcome bonus.

oysterkite

Maybe a bit ironic to whine about lack of gratitude given your contribution Dilemma..


You and 1,000,000 other cyclisti


Thanks for your input....given your number of posts I'm reminded about Cav's comments on forum posters being allergic to daylight or something similar

......keep posting.....btw

dilemna

oysterkite wrote:

Maybe a bit ironic to whine about lack of gratitude given your contribution Dilemma..


You and 1,000,000 other cyclisti


Thanks for your input....given your number of posts I'm reminded about Cav's comments on forum posters being allergic to daylight or something similar

......keep posting.....btw

Another newbie .......... 2 posts this time ! Prove me wrong but I have a sneaking suspicion you will disappear without trace adding little to the forum.

andymiller

dilemna wrote:

oysterkite wrote:

Maybe a bit ironic to whine about lack of gratitude given your contribution Dilemma..


You and 1,000,000 other cyclisti


Thanks for your input....given your number of posts I'm reminded about Cav's comments on forum posters being allergic to daylight or something similar

......keep posting.....btw

Another newbie .......... 2 posts this time ! Prove me wrong but I have a sneaking suspicion you will disappear without trace adding little to the forum.

Well maybe, but your post wasn't the most helpful you've ever made.

I also get irritated by people who start a thread and then never participate - even to respond to questions, but unfortunately it's a bad habit that's not confined to newbies. I'd say something approaching 90 per cent of thread starters do it. So maybe give newbies the benefit of the doubt?

oysterkite

Myself & a friend cycled down to the Pyrenese last year & did the Tourmalet & Solour, my wife met us in our campervan and we stayed in a great campsite in Cauterets, there were at least two in town, I did the Tourmalet from this campsite so its accessible but obviously further than some of the posts previously mentioned, however, given the crowds this year it might be worth lookingf further afield. We will be going back to watch the Tour on Sat and will prob stay in the same place....