Col d'Aubisque from Laruns: an easy start and 10 hard kilometres

The Col d'Aubisque is 1,709 m high and one of the great Pyrenean passes of the Tour de France. From Laruns in the Ossau valley it is about 18 km and 1,200 m of climbing, by Tourisme 64's figures. What makes it special is how it is built. The first third is a gentle road through the forest to the old spa town of Eaux-Bonnes. After that it climbs at around 8.5% most of the way to the top. Here is the climb in detail, how to pace a climb that saves its hard part for the end, and what to know before you go.

The climb, from Laruns to the giant bicycles

Tourisme 64 publishes two route sheets for the climb: 18 km and 1,200 m in one, 18.2 km and 1,220 m in the other, starting from Laruns at about 525 m. Our track is 17.0 km and 1,225 m because it starts slightly differently in the valley. The climb is the same road.

• Laruns to Eaux-Bonnes: the easy part. About 4 km at an average of 5%, in long switchbacks under old trees, with sequoias along the road. You arrive at Eaux-Bonnes under the arcades by the old casino at about 5.7 km.
• Eaux-Bonnes to Gourette: the climb begins. A steeper stretch at around 8%, a breather at 4% to a bridge at 7.8 km, and then a 13% sign. From there the road climbs about 6 km at an average of 8.5%, with 10% ramps under the avalanche sheds. In the bends below Gourette you can see the Valentin waterfall.
• Gourette to the col: the high pastures. Past the Gourette tourist office at about 14 km, the road climbs at around 8% through light woodland to the Crêtes Blanches viewpoint at 16.5 km, then a last two kilometres through open pasture to the col. The On s'y Col organisers sum it up as the last 4 km averaging 8.5%, with one section at 13%.

At the top, three giant bicycles painted in the colours of the Tour's yellow, polka-dot and green jerseys stand beside the road.

How to pace a climb with a sting in its tail

Tourisme 64 puts the climb at about two hours on an e-bike. On any bike, the hard part comes in the second half.

• Don't race to Eaux-Bonnes. At 4–5% it is tempting to ride at threshold. Hold back to 75–80% of FTP and treat it as a warm-up. Our guide to pacing a climb with power shows why an even effort is faster overall.
• Settle in at the 13% sign. From the bridge to the top is a long 8–9% effort. Find a cadence you can hold and stay seated. Stand only for the steep ramps under the avalanche sheds; seated vs standing explains when standing pays.
• Gear for 8.5%. A compact with a 30–32 sprocket keeps your cadence up through the steepest part. See gearing for climbing.
• Eat before Eaux-Bonnes. Once you are into the steep part, eating is harder. Gourette, a ski resort, is the last village before the top.
• Mind the animals. The upper road crosses pasture land, so expect livestock on the road, especially on the descent.

An empress's road and a Tour classic

The road over the Aubisque was built in the 19th century at the request of Empress Eugénie, to link the spa towns of Eaux-Bonnes and Argelès-Gazost. Beyond the col it runs as a corniche through the Cirque du Litor towards the Col du Soulor, at 1,474 m.

Tourisme 64 calls the Aubisque a "grand classique du Tour" and one of the race's legendary stages, sometimes with a summit finish. From the orientation table at the top there is a 360-degree view, with the Cirque de Gourette below the Pic de Ger at 2,613 m.

When to go and how to loop it

• Season. According to Tourisme 64, the road is open from late May or early June to mid-November.
• On s'y Col. Once a year the climb from Laruns is closed to traffic for a morning. The 11th edition, on 13 September 2026, ran from 8:30 to 11:30 from Laruns station. It is free, and a helmet is required. Watch Tourisme 64's page for next year's date.
• The descent. Coming back down to Laruns, the avalanche sheds are dark after bright sunlight, and the gradient is steep enough to build speed quickly. Brake before the bends; descending faster and safer has the rest.
• Make it a loop. Continue past the col along the Litor to the Soulor and drop to Argelès-Gazost, or come back the same way. France Vélo Tourisme's 101 km loop from Nay takes in the Soulor and the Aubisque.

Ride it in Moveee Indoor

This route is the real road from Laruns to the col. In Moveee Indoor your smart trainer reproduces its gradient as you ride: an easy start, then the long 8–9% section from the bridge above Eaux-Bonnes, with the world around you built from map data of the Ossau valley. It is the ideal climb to practise pacing indoors, because the mistake you make in the first 7 km only shows up in the last 10.

Ride it once by feel, then again with a power cap on the first third, and compare the times. Your rides are saved with power data, so the difference is easy to see. To use another app, download the GPX above.

The short version

About 18 km and 1,200 m from Laruns to 1,709 m. The first 7 km to Eaux-Bonnes are gentle, and from the 13% sign to the top it is 8–9% almost all the way. Hold back on the easy part, settle in early on the steep part, and look out for animals on the descent.