Home Destinations France Nouvelle-AquitaineCol d'Aubisque

Hard

Cycling

🇫🇷 France

Satellite

This track was identified and mapped via high-resolution satellite imagery.

ID: FR-NAQ-05

Col d'Aubisque

Added on 10 Oct 2026

Logged by @trailx

Col d'Aubisque (1,709 m) is one of the great Tour de France climbs. The classic side starts in Laruns: 16.6 km at an average 7.2%, gaining 1,190 m. Passes the Gourette ski resort. The balcony road on to the Soulor is one of the Pyrenees' great rides. First Tour appearance: 1910 (about 74 times). Yellow jersey Wim van Est fell into a ravine near the top in 1951.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Season: About June to November. Carry a windproof layer for the descent, enough water and food for the climb, and check road status before you go. Descend with care: these are open roads shared with cars and motorbikes. Watch for free-roaming cattle, sheep and horses on the upper road.

Mission Logs38 waypoints

Distance	Direction & Instruction	Gradient
0.0 km	N Start Point	2%
0.5 km	S Continue on track	-3%
1.0 km	E Continue on track	-2%
1.3 km	E Terrain Change	6%
1.8 km	SE Steep Ascent	14%

Note: Gear suggestions are based on terrain gradient and are for reference only.

Weather check

At Start

527m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

42.9883, -0.4266

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 42.9883, -0.4266 @ 527m

Quick Stats

Distance

17.29 km

Type

Cycling Sector

Elevation Range

510m - 1705m

Max Elevation

1705 m

Max Gradient

20%

2.9%

Highlights

Ride the Laruns side, the way the Tour climbs it
Top out at 1,709 m
Yellow jersey Wim van Est fell into a ravine near the top in 1951
Passes the Gourette ski resort

Field Radio Protocol

VHF-UHF Communication

Signal Verified

Emergency Simplex

146.520MHz

Team Coordination

446.006MHz

Scout Primary

146.400MHz

Propagation Telemetry

Ridge Line

92%

Gorge Floor

18%

Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range

Regulatory Compliance

VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.

Technical Analysis

Total Ascent

+1197 m

Total Descent

-20 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).

0 (Smooth)50 (Steep)100+ (Extreme)

70.4

Tortuosity Index

Route Curviness Index

Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).

1.0 (Direct)2.0 (Winding)3.0+ (Serpentine)

2.4

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)8%

Moderate (3-8%)24%

Steep (>8%)67%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved99%

Unpaved1%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt

99%

Dirt Track

Water Crossings

Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.

Difficulty Analysis

SCORE: 58

Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.

Resulting CategoryHard

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 42.958076

MAX LAT: 42.988285

MIN LON: -0.428179

MAX LON: -0.330392

Point Spacing: 14.5 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

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Plan this trip

Before you go: Col d'Aubisque

Best time to go

Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct

June to September is best for Alpine and Pyrenean routes; spring and autumn suit Provence, Occitania and the Loire, while Réunion is driest from May to November and prone to cyclones from January to March.