Col du Portet
D123Saint-Lary-Soulan to Col du Portet · Hautes-Pyrenees
The highest paved road pass in the Pyrenees at 2215 metres, a brutal modern Tour de France climb above Saint-Lary-Soulan.
Surfaced to the summit only in 2018 for its Tour de France debut, the Col du Portet rises from Saint-Lary-Soulan on the D123 toward Espiaube and then on a narrow ribbon to a 2215 metre crest, the highest paved pass in the Pyrenees, even loftier than the Tourmalet. It is a relentless climb, averaging well over eight percent with long ramps and tight switchbacks, opening onto huge high-pasture panoramas and the surrounding peaks of the Aure. This is a dead-end mountain road rather than a through route, so it is a destination drive, quiet and raw. The upper road is narrow and exposed. Open in the warmer months only. Mind the steep sustained gradients on the descent, the single-lane pinch points near the top, and cattle and walkers on the open summit pastures.
Where it runs
Character
Elevation
1420 m rangeKnow before you go
- Sustained steep gradients on the descent
- Single-lane pinch points near the summit
- Cattle and walkers on the high pastures
Sources
In these collections
Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Col du Portet.
