cycling Hautacam - Argelès Gazost

I rode this beast as the final climb in the 2008 Etape. We reached the bottom after a miserable days weather and into sunshine. This didnt last long and whithin a couple of Kilometers all conversation ceased and for the second time that day i found my self cocooned in a grey bubble of silence. The climb became a battle over self doubt and a constant struggle to not climb off. Foolish pride kept me in the saddle. Mercifully i could not see the summit. For many it was too much and casualties of this war lined the road struggling still to push bikes upward. The climb even claimed a chain as a rider sensing the end put in an all too brief acceleration out of the saddle before his chain gave up the goast in front of me. Oh please not me. The next 2 km I didnt dare change gear, not even when from somewhere out of the gloom i heard what I knew were the timing mats at the top. And all of a sudden it was over. A blessed relief from 12 months of training replaced by emotion and Hypothermia on the way down. I would score this a five if it wasnt for the changeable gradient that prevented any kind of rythem. As for the view, how should i know.

My personal climb rating: 4 stars

Coming at the end of the 2008 Etape du Tour and after having climbed Tourmalet, this was never going to be a fun day in the saddle. The day had been dull and drizzly with low cloud obscuring the view. The base of the climb however was bathed in sunshine and crowded with spectators. I climbed on a triple (30x25) and started spinning from the bottom. The road was narrow and divided into two lanes to allow earlier finishers to descend, so for most of the way it felt like a little country lane. However the volume of riders kept concentration to a maximum and as the climb progressed all banter ceased as we each tapped out the miles in our own private worlds of pain. The varying gradient, even some short downhill stretches, break up the rhythm but also allow brief respites from the uphill grind. After about 3kms the cloud was low enough that we were shrouded in mist and damp with dew. The temperature stayed in low single figures as we climbed ever higher, and after one hour 20 minutes we heard the beeping of the timer mats. A medal and a bottle of water was our reward as we waited, shivering at the top, to be allowed to descend two by two back down the mountain.

My personal climb rating: 4 stars

On a wet and soggy day in May 08, wed pretty much settled for a non-cycling day in the Pyrenees. However, late afternoon, the sun finally came out and we decided to make a brief run to the Hautacam. Based in Argeles-Gazost, we used the road out of town towards Tourmalet and back on the other side of the river towards Hautacam as a warm-up. It was soon appearant that my friend did not have a good day, so I decided to test myself. A beautiful evening through the fog some 5k from the top, the climb has some steep elements where I was happy to have changed to a 50-34 Ultegra compact crank. It makes pedalling easier as it is ""effortless"" to keep a constant cadence. Anyway, there is a steep pitch som 2,5k from the top where I think the winner of this years TdF stage 10 will make his move. I did the climb just under an hour (from the base sign) at an average puls of 87%.

My personal climb rating: 5 stars

I cycled the Hautacam last year with my son. It was a sweltering day and having climbed the Tourmalet a few days previously I thought this would be a breeze in comparison. I was in for a real shock. I cant really remember the gradient of every single km as I wasnt planning on writing about it but I would dispute the average 6.8% gradient! We started on the outskirts of Argeles Gazost and after only the first km which I think was 7% we were climbing at 8, 8, 9, 8 and then 10%, 10%, 9%. I thought and hoped there was going to be an easy km for my screaming legs to have a little recovery but there was no let up and it was really hard going! It was such a hot day too and then I remember a really tough km. Im sure it said 12% on the sign. Ouch! It was seriously steep and I think there were a couple of 10% kms after that. Near the top it leveled off slightly, maybe a relatively gentle 7% and was really enjoyable for the last 2 kms. You can go further up after you reach the top of the Hautacam but my son had run out of steam (and me too if the truth is told). In summary I would say that this climb is a great challenge and almost enjoyable in a painful kind of way. If you relish a right good old sufferfest then this is the one for you!

The climb for Hautacam starts beautifully in the green valley at Argeles Gazost. The first ks are really nice, 6-7%. At every k. there is a sign that states your altitude, how far you have climbed and the avg. gradient for the next k. After 5-6 ks you find yourself descending - just after you read a sign about 8% avg. grade! And this repeats itself a couple of times. The varying grades makes it a hard climb for "non-climbers" (>60 kg). The last 3 ks are beautiful and you can go hard for the last 2 ks. Dont miss the fantastis view from the busplatform. And remind yourself of Riis and Armstrong - and you.