アルティーグのおすすめMTBライド

avoid at current skill level

I would just like to remember that Alejandro Valverde was the first rider at the top of this pass when the Tour crossed it for the first time in 2012, subsequently winning the stage that ended in Peryagudes.

A very pretty, very pleasant town, with all kinds of shops and restaurants, ideal for organizing a stage of several days to discover this part of the French Pyrenees.

Port de Balès is one of the great colossi of the Pyrenees, discovered for professional cycling in the 2012 Tour, crowned by Alejandro Valverde for the first time. The two times I have climbed it it has been on its northern slope, the longest and hardest, although the southern slope is also very hard. The northern slope begins with a very nice road that runs next to the river and goes up it at a very gentle rate. Starting from a bridge, where you leave the river on the left, the hard 11 km stretch to the top begins, although it is true that there are 2 stretches where the slope softens and allows you to take a break. The last 5 km have spectacular views of the valley and the surrounding peaks. At the top, the panoramic view of the Pyrenees is incredible.

And it was already a stage destination on the tour

A nice place to stop off after the hike. The car park is generously dimensioned, since the Lac d'Oô and the Lac d'Espingo are popular hiking destinations, you should still come early to get a parking space.

There’s a drinking water fountain outside the pizzaria on the Main Street (Avenue D’Etigny)

The port of Balès rises to an altitude of 1,755 meters. The climb from Mauléon-Barousse is 18.9 kilometers long with an average gradient of 6.3%, including some sections at over 14%.