Motorcycle Ride Planner · Routes · France

Col d'Aubisque & Cirque du Litor Shelf Road

France · D918

One of the most thrilling and vertigo-inducing shelf roads in the world. Between Col d'Aubisque (1,709m) and Col du Soulor (1,474m), the D918 is hacked directly into the vertical limestone cliffs of the Cirque du Litor over a sheer 600-foot chasm, threading through unlit natural rock tunnels with minimal stone coping barriers. Toll-free. Closed November to late May. High risk of mountain fog, grazing livestock, and single-lane bottlenecks.

Col d'Aubisque & Cirque du Litor Shelf Road runs 29 miles between Laruns, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France and Argelès-Gazost, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. We count about 170 corners along it, which is consistently bendy. A hard road that rewards experience and punishes bravado.

Tank-bag quick reference

• StartLaruns, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France42.9878, -0.4244
• High1,510 ft - 5,607 ft (1,709m Col d'Aubisque)elevation range
• EndArgelès-Gazost, Hautes-Pyrénées, France43.0039, -0.0989

T-CLOCS before you go: tyres and wheels, controls and cables, lights and electrics, oil and fluids, chassis and stand.

Repair within reach

• 23 miMoto Expert PauPau, France
• 31 miMoto Pyrenees Tarbes (Dafy Moto Tarbes)Tarbes, France

Straight-line distance from the start of the route, not driving distance.

More in France

• Route des Grandes Alpes (Geneva to Mediterranean Spine)440 mi · 2400 corners
• Col de la Bonette & Cime Loop (2,802m)31 mi · 190 corners
• Col d'Izoard & Casse Déserte28 mi · 160 corners
• Gorges du Verdon & Route des Crêtes (D23 Canyon Rim)32 mi · 160 corners
• Col du Galibier & Col du Télégraphe26 mi · 155 corners
• Col de l'Iseran20 mi · 130 corners

Questions riders ask

How long does Col d'Aubisque & Cirque du Litor Shelf Road take to ride?

About 29 miles. At an unhurried pace with stops that is roughly 1 hour of riding, longer if you are stopping for photographs.

Where does Col d'Aubisque & Cirque du Litor Shelf Road start and end?

It runs between Laruns, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France and Argelès-Gazost, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. Either end works as a start; the route reads the same in both directions.

Is Col d'Aubisque & Cirque du Litor Shelf Road a twisty road?

We count about 170 corners across 29 miles, which is consistently bendy.

Is there a GPX file for Col d'Aubisque & Cirque du Litor Shelf Road?

Yes. The GPX is free, there is no account, and the planner will build a route that includes this road alongside others nearby.

Where these numbers come from

Distances and corner counts come from the route's own geometry, not from ratings or votes. Nothing here is crowdsourced and nobody paid to appear.