French Pyrenees

pepero

Hi all,

Heading to the Pyrenees - staying close to Argeles Gazost - in a few weeks. Will be there for a week and obviously lots of options close by (Hautacam, Tourmalet etc.), but if anyone has any links to routes they'd highly recommend I'm all ears.

Going to be a climbing-heavy trip naturally, but would be great to have some flatter options too for a bit of relief after a few days.

Many thanks in advance

durhamwasp

We stayed in Argeles last summer, great few days cycling! Our report is on the website link in my sig.

We pretty much just rode the climbs, didn't do any loops really.

pepero

That's great. Many thanks!

xacasar

Hi Pepero.
Of course there are the "big ones" (Aubisque, Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden, Hautacam etc.), the less known ones (col des Tentes, col de Troumousse) those two are just after Luz St.Sauveur.
And you can also enjoy some flat or less hilly loops.
One I really like to do to "chill", it is not completely flat neither, is to go toward Lourdes, once in Lourdes take right toward Montgaillard (D937), right again to Bagnéres de Bigorre and a little before Bagneres de Bigorre take right again (towards Luscarda, Arrodets etc.)
Basicaly, Argles Gazost is surrounded by moutains, only way to get away is to head north toward Lourdes and after take left (toward Betharam), left of straight one and you'll find some flat routes.

www.bikebasque.co.uk

pepero

Fantastic thanks! It will definitely be nice to break things up with an easier day, so it's great to have this advice.

Thanks again.

dish_dash

yep... just go do the climbs

When I was out there we did Cirque de Gavarnie as a slightly easier day (Col de Tentes). Is absolutely lovely up there and would highly recommend it on a clear day...

gingermagician

Col de Spandelles, Col du Soulor (from Ferrières side, absolutely awesome), then back to Argelès via a detour up the massively underrated Col de Couraduque...heaven!

VeloPeloton

Some routes with GPX.
https://pyreneesrental.bike/pyrenees-ro ... ng-routes/

Nick Payne

Have a look at the web site of Pyrenees Cycling Lodge, which is in Saint Savin (about 3km from Argèles-Gazost). They have a whole lot of suggested routes available as GPX files: https://pyreneescyclinglodge.com/pyrenees-cycling-routes/.

dabber

If you do the western route up the Tourmalet out of Luz Saint Sauveur it's worth taking the Voie Laurent Fignon diversion a bit beyond Bareges. It's the original route that got closed to traffic a few years ago. I did it a few weeks ago. The road is still quite rideable and we saw no one other than two walkers. It rejoins the new route after about 3.5km. Quite magical as just as we took the diversion we came out of the cloud into the deserted mountain landscape.