Home Destinations France OccitaniaPort de Balès

Hard

Cycling

🇫🇷 France

Satellite

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

ID: FR-OCC-23

Port de Balès

Added on 10 Oct 2026

Logged by @trailx

Port de Balès (1,755 m) is one of the great Tour de France climbs. The classic side starts in Mauléon-Barousse: 18.9 km at an average 6.3%, gaining 1,185 m. Resurfaced in 2006 at the Tour's request. Quiet and wild. First Tour appearance: 2007 (6 times). Alberto Contador attacked as Andy Schleck dropped his chain in 2010.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Season: Often closed by snow in winter. 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.

Mission Logs43 waypoints

Distance	Direction & Instruction	Gradient
0.0 km	N Start Point	4%
0.5 km	SW Continue on track	7%
1.0 km	W Steep Ascent	14%
1.3 km	W Terrain Change	7%
1.8 km	W Continue on track	3%

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

Weather check

At Start

581m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

42.9595, 0.5674

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 42.9595, 0.5674 @ 581m

Quick Stats

Distance

19.28 km

Type

Cycling Sector

Elevation Range

581m - 1739m

Max Elevation

1739 m

Max Gradient

23.3%

Highlights

Ride the Mauléon-Barousse side, the way the Tour climbs it
Top out at 1,755 m
Alberto Contador attacked as Andy Schleck dropped his chain in 2010
Resurfaced in 2006 at the Tour's request

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

+1159 m

Total Descent

-2 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

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

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

60.2

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)

1.77

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)10%

Moderate (3-8%)34%

Steep (>8%)57%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved97%

Unpaved3%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt

97%

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: 59

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

Resulting CategoryHard

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 42.872850

MAX LAT: 42.960800

MIN LON: 0.495649

MAX LON: 0.567438

Point Spacing: 16.5 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

Reviews & Discussion0

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Plan this trip

Before you go: Port de Balès

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.