Col de Marie-Blanque loop from Arudy
60 km · 1,000 m · Arudy
- Base
- Arudy
- Distance
- 60 km
- Elevation gain
- 1,000 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Type
- Loop
- Highest point
- Col de Marie-Blanque, 1,035 m
- Season
- April–November
The Marie-Blanque is short but nasty: from Escot it's 9.1 km with 705 metres of climbing, and the last four kilometres are around 11–13 per cent. The loop starts gently in the green Béarn countryside and ends with a glorious descent across the Plateau de Bénou pastures down to the Ossau valley. The col is often used in the Tour de France as the last climb before Pau, and the Escot side is the one that decides races. From the Bielle side it's much kinder (5 per cent on average).
TipsRide the loop clockwise so that you climb the steep Escot side and get the lovely descent across Bénou. No services at the top; fill up with water in Escot or Asasp. The road is narrow and very steep near the top, but traffic is light. Open most of the year but can get snow in winter.
Nearby
Cycling rides
- Gavarnie from Luz-Saint-Sauveur40 km · 700 m · Easy
- Cerdagne loop over the Col de la Perche55 km · 800 m · Easy
- Aubisque and Soulor from Laruns55 km · 1,550 m · Moderate
- Col du Pourtalet to Formigal and Sallent82 km · 1,800 m · Moderate
- Port de Larrau and Pierre-Saint-Martin, French–Spanish loop127 km · 3,000 m · Very hard
- The Tourmalet from both sides72 km · 2,700 m · Hard
- Hautacam and Luz Ardiden102 km · 2,550 m · Hard
- Peyresourde and Aspin from Luchon88 km · 2,650 m · Hard
- The Tour's 65-kilometre stage: Luchon–Col de Portet65 km · 3,000 m · Hard
- Port de Balès and Peyresourde from Luchon88 km · 2,300 m · Hard
- The big Comminges loop: Ares, Balès, Menté and Portet d'Aspet133 km · 3,300 m · Very hard
- Col de Port and Mur de Péguère from Foix74 km · 1,750 m · Hard
- Latrape, Saraillé and Col d'Agnes from Aulus76 km · 1,950 m · Hard
- The Pailhères from both sides and Ax 3 Domaines75 km · 2,850 m · Hard
- Coll d'Ordino and Beixalís from Andorra la Vella62 km · 1,700 m · Moderate
- Port de la Bonaigua from Vielha46 km · 1,150 m · Moderate
- The queen stage Pau–Luchon (the Circle of Death in reverse)197 km · 4,800 m · Very hard