- Ascent
- 1524 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 29.9 km
- max. gradient
- 12 %
- ø gradient
- 5.1 %
The Col de Tentes from Luz-Saint-Sauveur is an HC climb of 29.9 km with 1,524 m of elevation gain at an average of 5.1 %, peaking at 12 %. The road follows the valley via Gèdre and Gavarnie and ends at 2,208 m. The first 20 kilometres or so are rolling and moderate, the last ten average around 8 %.
Epic Climbs: Black Edition DIN A1 poster
Bucket-List Print: Col de Tentes
No Pyrenees climb in our list is longer, has more climbing or finishes higher than the Col de Tentes. From Luz-Saint-Sauveur it is 29.9 kilometres and 1,524 metres of climbing up to 2,208 metres. The 5.1 % average sounds harmless, but it is spread very unevenly. Two thirds of the distance are the approach, the last third is the actual mountain.
The Col de Tentes at a glance
The key figures from Luz-Saint-Sauveur: category HC, 29.9 km, 1,524 m of climbing, 5.1 % on average and 12 % at its steepest. The road follows the valley of the Gave de Gavarnie via Gèdre to Gavarnie and then climbs up to 2,208 m. The tarmac ends at the top, and the way back to Luz-Saint-Sauveur is the same road. In our list the Col de Tentes belongs to the Pyrenees region.
The climb from Luz-Saint-Sauveur
The first 20 kilometres or so, up to the Gavarnie area, are a restless valley road: short steep pieces alternate with flat and even slightly downhill sections. The second kilometre is one of the steepest of the whole climb, after that it stays moderate for a long time. Several kilometres here sit at zero or just below. Ride this part calmly and you arrive at the foot of the real climb with fresh legs.
The last ten kilometres average around 8 % and offer hardly any breaks. Several sections here go above 10 %, and the steepest kilometre comes just before the end. Only the very last kilometre eases off. Whatever you saved down in the valley, this is where you need it.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
Within the Pyrenees the Col de Tentes is number one in our list for length, elevation gain and finishing height. Across all 100 climbs only eight are longer, 21 have more climbing and 30 finish higher. The average tells the opposite story: at 5.1 % it has the gentlest average of all 14 Pyrenees climbs, and only ten climbs in the whole list are gentler. The Col de la Croix de Fer is built in a similar way, with 28.1 km and 1,537 m of climbing at 5.5 %.
Practical tips
On the Col de Tentes pacing decides the whole ride: the valley is long, but it is not the place to race. A compact gearing makes sense for the steep kilometres in the final part. At 2,208 m it is fresh even in summer, so bring a jacket for the long descent back to Luz-Saint-Sauveur. Keep in mind that the way down is not all downhill either, the flat and falling bits of the valley turn into short rises on the return.
