Gavarnie from Luz-Saint-Sauveur
40 km · 700 m · Luz-Saint-Sauveur
- Base
- Luz-Saint-Sauveur
- Distance
- 40 km
- Elevation gain
- 700 m
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Type
- Out and back
- Highest point
- Gavarnie (village by the cirque), 1,365 m
- Season
- May–October (Col de Tentes: June–October)
A perfect warm-up ride for the first day: a steady, never steep climb of just over 20 km through the gorge from Luz up to the village of Gavarnie and the famous cirque with Europe's highest waterfall. The gradient is mostly 3–5 per cent, so there's time to enjoy the view. On the way back it's downhill more or less the whole way. If you want more, carry on 10 km to the Col de Tentes (2208 m), where the gradient bites properly and the traffic disappears.
TipsCafés and restaurants in Gèdre and Gavarnie. Lots of tourist traffic and coaches to Gavarnie in the middle of the day in July–August, so start early. The road to Gavarnie is open all year round. The extension to the Col de Tentes is snow-free roughly from June to October/November.
Nearby
Cycling rides
- Cerdagne loop over the Col de la Perche55 km · 800 m · Easy
- Aubisque and Soulor from Laruns55 km · 1,550 m · Moderate
- Col de Marie-Blanque loop from Arudy60 km · 1,000 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

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