- Ascent
- 1201 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 16.8 km
- max. gradient
- 10 %
- ø gradient
- 7.1 %
The Col d'Aubisque from Laruns is an HC climb of 16.8 km with 1,201 m of elevation gain at an average of 7.1 %, peaking at 10 %. The road climbs out of the Ossau valley via Eaux-Bonnes and Gourette to 1,709 m. The upper part is irregular, with steeper and easier kilometres taking turns.
The Col d’Aubisque starts calmly and gets more and more restless towards the top. From Laruns in the Ossau valley it is 16.8 kilometres and 1,201 metres of climbing up to 1,709 metres. The first two kilometres are practically flat, after that the road climbs without a real break all the way to the summit. In the upper part steep and easier kilometres constantly take turns.
The Col d’Aubisque at a glance
The key figures from Laruns: category HC, 16.8 km, 1,201 m of climbing, 7.1 % on average and 10 % at its steepest. The road leads out of the Ossau valley via Eaux-Bonnes and Gourette up to 1,709 m. On the far side it drops over the Col du Soulor to Argelès-Gazost. In our list the Aubisque belongs to the Pyrenees region.
The climb from Laruns
Out of Laruns you roll for two kilometres with almost no gradient, that is approach, not yet climb. From kilometre three to seven the gradient sits evenly at 5 to 7 %, around 6.5 % on average. This is the section where you find your rhythm. Take out the flat first two kilometres and the actual climb is just under 15 kilometres long.
From kilometre eight it gets harder and above all more irregular. The last ten kilometres average a little over 8 %, but not evenly: steep kilometres and easier ones around 5 % alternate up to the summit. No kilometre in this part drops below just under 5 %, so there is no real recovery. Accelerating and easing off every time costs a lot of strength here.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
Among the 14 Pyrenean climbs in the list, the Aubisque shares sixth place for elevation gain with the Port de Pailhères at 1,201 m, and its 7.1 % average also ranks sixth. In the full list it sits roughly in the middle on both counts. The Col du Tourmalet is harder on all three figures, with 1,401 m of climbing, 18.3 km and 7.7 % on average. The Col du Soulor on the far side is a climb of its own in our list and is clearly flatter at 5.2 % on average.
Practical tips
The flat first two kilometres are good for warming up before the climb begins in earnest. For the irregular upper part a wide gear range helps you hold your cadence through every change. With a maximum of 10 % you do not need extreme gearing. At 1,709 m it is cooler at the top than in Laruns, so bring a windproof layer for the descent over the Soulor or back into the Ossau valley.
