Motorcycle Ride Planner · Routes · France

Col du Tourmalet (Pyrenean High Crest)

France · D918

The mythological giant of the French Pyrenees and most climbed pass in Tour de France history. Climbs through Gripp and La Mongie ski station to summit at 2,115m (6,939 ft) beneath the Pic du Midi de Bigorre observatory. Toll-free. Seasonal closure from November to late May. Features steep 10% gradients, free-roaming Pyrenean cattle, horses, and sheep on the tarmac, and sweeping switchbacks with sheer drop-offs down to Luz-Saint-Sauveur.

Col du Tourmalet (Pyrenean High Crest) runs 18 miles between Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, Hautes-Pyrénées, France and Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. We count about 110 corners along it, which is consistently bendy. Demanding, and not a road to meet in the wet.

Tank-bag quick reference

• StartSainte-Marie-de-Campan, Hautes-Pyrénées, France42.9839, 0.2269
• High2,330 ft - 6,939 ft (2,115m Col du Tourmalet)elevation range
• EndLuz-Saint-Sauveur, Hautes-Pyrénées, France42.8719, -0.0039

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

Repair within reach

• 20 miMoto Pyrenees Tarbes (Dafy Moto Tarbes)Tarbes, France
• 41 miMoto Expert PauPau, 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'Aubisque & Cirque du Litor Shelf Road29 mi · 170 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

Questions riders ask

How long does Col du Tourmalet (Pyrenean High Crest) take to ride?

About 18 miles. At an unhurried pace with stops that is roughly 1 hour of riding, longer if you are stopping for photographs.

Where does Col du Tourmalet (Pyrenean High Crest) start and end?

It runs between Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, Hautes-Pyrénées, France and Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. Either end works as a start; the route reads the same in both directions.

Is Col du Tourmalet (Pyrenean High Crest) a twisty road?

We count about 110 corners across 18 miles, which is consistently bendy.

Is there a GPX file for Col du Tourmalet (Pyrenean High Crest)?

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.