Touring the Pyrenees

sleepyholland

I'm looking for advice from those of you familiar with touring the Pyrenees.
A group of us are planning on cycling across them (or part of them) this June.
We wouldn't be hardcore cyclists but some have done the WW200, others 10 days touring on the Camino de Santiago and the rest still have 4 months to train.

We'd like to design a challenging route but one that has a couple of easier days in there too. Or even one that could provide options on a given day to include or circumnavigate a climb and reconvene at the end of the day.

Whether we have a support vehicle is undecided as of now. For start and end points we'll be looking at flight options.

Initial thoughts are to begin in Biarritz and hit the 'hills' via St Jean Pied de Port (it holds sentimental value to the group)

What are the must do hills, Tourmalet, Col du Soulor, Col d'Aubisque? What other sites are worth including? Any suggestions on start and end points would be welcome too. We'd gladly spend time on the Spanish side and have considered finishing in Girona or somewhere else.

All thoughts welcome.
I'm sure I'll be on here again with gear-ratio and euro-style questions, but for now we just need to create a route that will appeal to a broad spectrum of needs.

Sleepy

IM0

Ive done the West to East traverse (Perpignon - Hendaye [biaritz]) going over all the biggest climbs the pyrenees could throw at me, the route I followed was that of the Lonely Planet Cycling France, which is itself based on the Raid Pyreneen.

Its hardcore and you have to love climbing for it, but its worth it.

Sounds like you need a touring company to make a route out for you though, lots of demands in there, and good luck with getting people to help out and not be paid (this is what touring companies are for )

Get out the michelin maps and start looking, and come back when you have an idea and then we can help better to fill in the details?

ROK ON

http://www.velopeloton.com/cycling/raid-pyrenees/

On the attached link there are maps of a 4.5 day route taking in the major climbs, plus a suggested daily intinerary.

sleepyholland

Thanks me@ucd. I take it you mean east-west?

This route seems to be a good basis.
http://www.pyreneeschallenge.com/route.php

We'd need to shorten it by a couple of days and make it a easier.
What's the best way to achieve that. Presumably not going the whole way?

sleepyholland

Cheers ROK ON.
Maybe doing the RAID route , but over a leisurely 6 or 7 days will suit us.
Still a bit concerned about the difficulty of day after day of serious climbing, and would love a suggestion of how to break it up. Or is it a case of when you're that high up in those mountains that the nearest piece of flat road is too far away to be worth detouring for?

blorg

Here's my trip from 2008. Also did the Raid last year, mean to post about that. There is a longer, slower Raid variant that may appeal. As to the "musts" they are pretty much as you have listed.

IM0

sleepyholland wrote: »

Thanks me@ucd. I take it you mean east-west?

Yes , in my defence I hard a really hard ride today and was just out of shower

This route seems to be a good basis.
http://www.pyreneeschallenge.com/route.php

On first glance looks similar to the one I did, but missing some big climbs

EDIT: on more detailed look however after Tarascon sur Aige I went deeper into the mountains [Port de Lers, Col d'Agnes, co de Latrape {seix} col de la Core, Portet d'Aspet, Col de Mente, Col du Portillon, Col de Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, Aubisque, Marie Blanque, Col du Baggargui [seriously steep MF!] {St Jean pied de Port} wheras the other route runs for the valley and foothills

Edit 2! - before that set was a few 600-800m cols, then col de Jau, Port de Paillaires, col de Chioula.

We'd need to shorten it by a couple of days and make it a easier.
What's the best way to achieve that. Presumably not going the whole way?

yeah Id say start in Foix (just North of Tarascon sur Aige on that map)
and a nice place with opportunities for a couple of day trips if it cuts too much of the route from perpignon.

velopeloton

blorg wrote: »

There is a longer, slower Raid variant that may appeal.

This is the list of cols on the "Raid Pyrenees Touriste."
830km with 28 cols in a maximum of 10 days. You can go from east to west or west to east, it is much easer than the randonneur version which is 710km with 18 cols in 100h.

Col St Ignace 169m
Col Pinodeita 176m
Col Budincurutcheta 1135m
Col Bagargui 1319m
Col Marie Blanque 1035m
Col d'Aubisque 1709m
Col du Soulor 1464m I cycled up there on Friday http://www.velopeloton.com/col-du-soulor/
Col des Borderes 1156m
Col du Tourmalet 2115m
Col d'Aspin 1489m
Col de Peyresourde 1569m
Col du Portillon 1293m
Col de Mente 1349m
Col du Portet d'Aspet 1069m
Col de la Core 1369m
Col de la Trappe 1111m
Col d'Agnes 1570m
Port de Lers 1517m
Col de Marmares 1361m
Col de Chioula 1431m
Col de Pailheres 2001m
Col de Moulis 1099m
Col de Garabel 1267m
Col de Jau 1513m
Col de Palomere 1036m
Col Xatard 752m
Col Fourtou 646m
Col Llauro 380m

I can give you a quote for a customized trip, 1 week will vary from €400 to €800 depending on exact requirements and numbers.

Prehaps:
Day 1
Fly Biarritz and transfer to Saint Jean pied de Port.
Day2
Cycle to Saint Savin, across Marie Blanque, Aubisque, Soulor and Borderer.
Stay for 3 nights.
Cycle some of, Hautacam, Luz Ardiden, Cambasque, Spandells, Soulor from north, Pont d'Espagna, Cirque du Tramousse, Gavarnie, Col du Tents, etc etc. Or there are many easier or flat rides.
Day 5
Cycle to Luchon, across Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresourde. Flatter route available.
Cycle Port de Bales, Col du Portillon, Col de Mente.
Day 7
Cycle to Ax, across Aers, Portet d'Aspet and col de Port.
Also available, Ax 3 Domains, Port de Pailheres, Plateau de Beille or Montsegur.
Day 8
Transfer to Carcassone or Toulouse for flight home.

There are many different possibilities for a trip with more or less climbing or a single base for whole week or different every night.

www.velopeloton.com

blorg

I might add that I met Paddy (Velopeloton) on my Raid trip, he was supporting some other cyclists, very nice guy and very helpful to us even though we were not his customers! I wouldn't hesitate to organise a trip with him. He has a base in the centre of the best bit of the Pyrenees.

sy

Thanks velopeloton, nice photos. I was up there in June 2008 just before the Aubisque finish of TDF. Looks spectacular this time of the year and 16C!! (I assume at the bottom of the climb)

velopeloton

sy wrote: »

Thanks velopeloton, nice photos. I was up there in June 2008 just before the Aubisque finish of TDF. Looks spectacular this time of the year and 16C!! (I assume at the bottom of the climb)

It was 16c at the bottom but much colder at the summit, not much above freezing. I had an extra jersey and a rain jacket for the descent, but it was still brass monkeys for the first 7km to Arrens.

sleepyholland

Great 1st hand info Blorg and Paddy.

I had overlooked the idea of spending a few nights in one place. That might be perfect in that people can spend a day on the bike or a day drinking 13 cappuccinos, depending how they feel.

Just a couple of questions Paddy, and then I can follow up off thread with you:

Do you offer driving support as part of a package?
Do you arrange accommodation in other locations or just the Saint Savin stay?

Thanks
Derek

velopeloton

sleepyholland wrote: »

Just a couple of questions Paddy, and then I can follow up off thread with you:

Do you offer driving support as part of a package?
Do you arrange accommodation in other locations or just the Saint Savin stay?

Thanks
Derek

We can do whatever level of support you require, from route maps to luggage transfer and broom wagon, whatever you need.

We will organize everything except your flights.
Transfers, broom wagon, luggage, bike hire, storage or transport of boxes, accommodation in Saint Savin or elsewhere, meals, entry to sportives or other events, booking of non cycling activities like rafting or parapent, visits to bike shops or Decathlon superstores, etc.

Mostly we just do the accommodation from Saint Savin, we have had people stay here for 2 weeks and not ride every climb in the valley, there are 10 TDF climbs that can be ridden from the house plus over 30 others. The 6 TDF climbs within 15km are Soulor/Aubisque, Borderes, Cambasque, Hautacam, Luz Ardiden & Tourmalet. For a real challenge ride all 6 in 1 day, we have had a few attempts but nobody has managed it yet although there is a group coming from Ireland in July that I think will be first.

Lumen

velopeloton wrote: »

For a real challenge ride all 6 in 1 day, we have had a few attempts but nobody has managed it yet

Toblerone1978

velopeloton wrote: »

For a real challenge ride all 6 in 1 day, we have had a few attempts but nobody has managed it yet although there is a group coming from Ireland in July that I think will be first.

Christ, what did I sign-up to... I really should starting look at the challenge before agreeing to it. And I'm terrible on the hills - hopefully I'm better at mountains! :pac: