- Ascent
- 1201 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 15.5 km
- max. gradient
- 10.2 %
- ø gradient
- 7.7 %
The Port de Pailhères from Ussons-les-Bains is an HC climb of 15.5 km with 1,201 m of elevation gain at an average of 7.7 %, peaking at 10.2 %. The road climbs via Mijanès to the pass at 2,001 m and drops on the far side to Ax-les-Thermes. Most of the climb sits between 6 and 10 %, only the last two kilometres ease off.
The Port de Pailhères is one of the steepest Pyrenees climbs in our list. From Ussons-les-Bains it is 15.5 kilometres and 1,201 metres of climbing up to 2,001 metres. That is 7.7 % on average, and the peak of 10.2 % is not far above it. The result is a climb that is hard almost all the way and rarely lets up.
The Port de Pailhères at a glance
The key figures from Ussons-les-Bains: category HC, 15.5 km, 1,201 m of climbing, 7.7 % on average and 10.2 % at its steepest. The road climbs via Mijanès to the pass at 2,001 m. On the far side it drops down to Ax-les-Thermes. In our list the Port de Pailhères belongs to the Pyrenees region.
The climb from Ussons-les-Bains
For most of the climb the gradient sits between 6 and 10 %, and several kilometres in the lower and middle part come close to the 10 % mark. There are no flat sections to recover in between. The steepest kilometres come fairly early, which makes a controlled start all the more important. Anyone who rides the first third too fast has a long way to go.
The last five kilometres average around 7.5 % and are still anything but easy. Only the last two kilometres ease off to around 5 to 6 %. That gives the finish a slightly softer end than the middle part. The pass itself comes without a final wall.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
At 7.7 % only one Pyrenees climb in our list is steeper on average, and two share the same value. One of them is the Col du Tourmalet, which also peaks at 10.2 %, but needs 18.3 km for 1,401 m of climbing. Across all 100 climbs 26 are steeper on average. The Col d’Aubisque has exactly the same 1,201 m of climbing, spread over 16.8 instead of 15.5 kilometres.
Practical tips
The Pailhères calls for a gearing that lets you spin 8 to 10 % for a long time, because the steep kilometres come one after another. Pacing matters more than the peak here. At 2,001 m it is noticeably colder than in the valley, so bring a jacket for the descent. Carry on over the pass and you roll down to Ax-les-Thermes, the way back to Ussons-les-Bains is the same road.
