Cycling in Ax-les-Thermes
3 cycling routes from Ax-les-Thermes, France, 8 to 28 km, 56 km mapped in all, with up to 1,275 m of climbing in a day. Mountainous riding (56 m of climbing per km on average), mostly road routes, 82% of the riding on main roads without a cycle lane. 4 named climbs; the high point is 1,995 m on Port de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes. Best months to ride: May to Oct.
At a glance
- Routes
- 3
- Lengths
- 8–28 km
- Biggest day
- 1,275 m
- Terrain
- Mountainous
- Surface
- Mostly paved
- Bike
- Road bike
- Difficulty
- Easy to Moderate
- Named climbs
- 4
- Best months
- May to Oct
- GPX
- Every route
Know before you go
Added up from the recorded routes and OpenStreetMap; nothing estimated.
- Surface
- Paved almost throughout.
- Roads
- 82% of the riding on main roads without a cycle lane.
- High point
- 1,995 m on Port de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes.
- Climbs
- 4 named climbs · 3 ascents of 500 m or more.
- Bail-outs
- A railway station or ferry within reach on 3 routes.
Cycling guide to Ax-les-Thermes
Ax-les-Thermes in France serves as the start for three notable routes. Riders can tackle the 8.4 km climb to Ax 3 Domaines with 663 m of elevation gain or ascend the longer 28.4 km route to Col de Puymorens, gaining 1195 m. Another demanding option is the 19.3 km ride including a climb of 12 km to Port de Pailhères with 1275 m elevation gain. All routes start near the town and reach high altitudes between 1380 m and 1995 m. Services are limited along the routes with stretches up to 9.1 km without amenities. Railway stations are available near the start and along some routes, providing access for cyclists.
More on terrain
Terrain
The terrain is predominantly mountainous with climbs ranging from 8.4 km up to 28.4 km in length. Gradients vary between average 4.2% on Col de Puymorens to a steeper average of 7.9% and 7.5% on other climbs, with maximum gradients of about 11%. High points range from 1380 m to 1995 m, reflecting challenging elevation.