cycling Col du Tourmalet - Luz Saint Sauveur

Started from Argeles-Gazost. You go through the Gorge de Luz. A beautiful scenery. Quite a lot of traffic. Already a lot of ascending road. Mostly not above 6%. From Luz st. Saveur the party starts. In the village you hit a steep part in the corner turning left. From there I thought I had super legs because I could keep it going at an 14km/h. But I was fooled. In the village midway you start hitting the steep parts. From there you have the gear down, at least I did. The climb never decreases in steepness. The scenery was beautiful but I was hating every minute of it. You cant get the tension of your legs for a minute. around 15km I made a sur-place just to give my legs some time without pressure. The last kilometers give you a few extra percent steepness, but with the top in sight not that painfull anymore. 1hour 36 to the top, but I was floored. The descend is definitly worth mentioning. There are almost no sharp corners and the ones you get are very doable. You can get your speed up as long as you want. My neck was painfull from this long awesome descend.

My personal climb rating: 5 stars

Tips: 1) stop by in Lourdes on your way out, meet the owner of the local bike shop, and get a really cool jersey with all the climbs, 2)bring your rain jacket and gloves in June - your fingers and body will freeze going down otherwise. 3) Argeles Gazost, perhaps best place and best food around. For a treat go to Saint Gavin - amazing chef at Viscos Hotel. Enjoy your ride, and dont forget to take good pics!!

My personal climb rating: 5 stars

In Begéres, the real fun begins; I saw the last of the quaint villas dissapear behind me. The road reads ""zona pastorale"" and I knew I was in the desolate road to the famous Tourmalet. I found myself in the classic long zig-zags up he climb, gasping for air at times, out of the saddle looking for that last gear on my bike at others; watching the melting snow drifts and the painted herds of sheep by the side of the road. With temps in the 30sF, fog settled in 2 Km from the top and the road took and additional 1-2% pitch; my back wheel spinning on the gravel from time to time. I didnt mind, this made for an epic ride!!Before I knew it I took that last turn into the top and my climb was over! A few minutes later we were taking pictures and sipping hot chocolate at the top restaurant admiring the pictures. It was only later that my girlfriend admitted how this helped her understand my drive and my love for cycling - an amazing experience! Tips to come...

My personal climb rating: 5 stars

First timer - the col du Tourmalet did not dissapoint! We came into Argeles-Gazost, the quintessential French country side town and the amazing Pyrenees in early June08. I had set up a bike rental that was waiting for me at the Inn when I came in. The weather was cool and rainy. On Friday after breakfast we set out for the Tourmalet, down the canyon to Luz St. Sauveur 15 Km away. My sweet girlfriend agreeing to be my domestique in the car. Behind the center of Luz, the road inclines and the count down begins with the road signs every Km.

My personal climb rating: 5 stars

Riding solo, I set out from Argeles-Gazost and rode south through the Gorge de Luz and up into the village of Luz St. Sauveur. The weather was perfect with a thin cirrus cloud layer screening an otherwise bright sun and a comfortable 70 degrees F in the valley, probably average for late May. As I entered Luz St. Sauveur, a group of school kids cheered me on with "Allez, allez" as I passed by. Once you make the left turn in town the road pitches up. At first it is gentle and gradually increases in grade. It tempts you to pick up the pace since its not so steep at first, but dont be fooled! This is a long climb with a steep finish and you dont want to blow out too early. The real climbing begins as you enter the town of Bareges and the road kicks up above 8 percent for the first time and stays there for most of the rest of the climb. The scenery is beautiful with plenty of streams rushing down from the melting snow above. As you pass the ski area you come above the tree line and get a great view of the valley below and the auberge at the pass above. Watch out for the herds of goats on the road! They must be used to having cyclists pass along the way and hardly scampered as I approached. At least they gave me the left hand side of the road to pass. The switchbacks begin in the last part of the climb to get you up the final 400 feet of elevation and through the pass. The final kilometer is the cruelest as it exceeds 10 percent and you are battling the elements. You are probably spent by now as well due to the last 18 kilometers of punishing climb. The winds had picked up and were howling through the pass from the east and a cloud layer had thickened, obscuring the surrounding peaks. I reached the top of the Tourmalet in 1 hour 40 minutes from Luz St. Sauveur and took a break before heading down the other side into La Mongie and on to St. Marie de Campan. The switchbacks descending into La Mongie are a thrill, but beware! The road is steep and tight. Once you are below La Mongie the road opens up and you descend below the tree line. You can really carry your speed without worry of sharp curves or obstacles and it was a blast!

I was supposed to meet my two brothers to climb the Tourmalet at the bottom in a village called Campan at 8am; then the time passed and nobody showed up; around noon a friend my wife and I decided to go to a restaurant for lunch where we had a beautiful meal and a lot of wine....;I was very sleepy and a little bit drunk after a big meal like this one but because the Pyrenees usually may get bad weather in the afternoon I started the ascension; it started easy with a slow pace and the sun started to hide; the forest was beautiful and the road not too difficult with a beautiful view at every curb; then midway a thunderstorm fell on me like a stone and I was completely wet and I couldnt see more than 2o feet in front of me; I continued my climbing and arrived at La Mongie the ski resort; the climb started to be more difficult before and in the city; the weather changed so much that I was freezing and some snow flakes started to fall; a few miles later a long straight road heading to the summit with a couple of miles of turns and free of trees; then finally the summit; the restaurant was close so I couldn’t get warm; I had only one jersey since the valley was around 80 degrees; finally my wife arrived with the car and we came down the mountain ; I was shivering...at the bottom of the mountain we find two cyclist waiting at the base camp: it was my two brothers saying I was a traitor, that I should have to wait for them; anyway since this climb was organized for month in advance I had no choice to go with them again; the sun came out right away and my cloth was drying; the beginning was slow because of my young brother that I help out by lying and every curb I told him we are soon to the summit even if I knew we had 20 more kilometer to go! at la Mongie both of them were fried and sit for 15mn on the side of the road; the faces were red and wrinkles started to show very much; not a word; just a look with pain and a little be lost like they were not there but lost in space; I was myself tired and I do not like long straight road like the one after La Mongie because it goes on and on and it seems we are not moving! finally we go back on our bike and we finalize the climb by a sprint between my twin brother and I 2 our 3 turns before the summit: I win and we took a picture in front the monument of a cyclist climbing the one who said one day to the organization of the Tour de France : what do you try to do ? to kill us ! assassin !