Col de la Pierre St Martin from Arette

25 km road cycling route1,434 m climbing1 h 48 minGPX

Arette, France · Road

A mountainous 25 km road cycling route from Arette through Ibarry, with 1,434 m of climbing over Pierre St Martin. Most of it (24.7 km) is on main roads without a cycle lane. The first 25 km has no café, shop or water.

Routed from the map This classic road was traced on OpenStreetMap and measured against the terrain model; no member has recorded it yet. Ridden it? Add your recording and photos.

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At a glance

Best for: Short, climbing-heavy rides for confident riders at ease in traffic
Distance: 25.3 km; Point to point
Elevation gain: 1,434 m; 57 m per km
Riding time: 1 h 48 min; moving time, estimated
Difficulty: Hard
Bike: Road bike; from the mapped surface
Surface: Paved; 99% paved · 1% unpaved
Traffic: Mostly main roads; 24.7 km on main roads without a cycle lane
Food & water: Longest gap 25 km; 3 cafés and restaurants · 2 shops · 2 water points · 3 public toilets · 2 bike shops
Best months: May to Oct; Arette climate, 10 years
Navigation: GPX download; free, no sign-in
Start → finish: Arette

Saint-Peter's church in Arette (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France). — Photo: This illustration was made by Peter Potrowl. Please credit this with : © Peter Potrowl in the immediate vicinity of the image. A link to my website sitemai.eu would be much appreciated but isn't mandatory. An email to Peter Potrowl would be appreciated too. Do not copy this image illegally by ignoring the terms of the license below, as it is not in the public domain. If you would like special permission to use, license, or purchase the image please contact me Peter Potrowl to negotiate terms. More free pictures in my website. Donations are accepted here and here. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent: 1,434 m
Distance: 25 km

Route description

Arette
Pierre St Martinkm 7
Ibarrykm 7

Starting from Arette at 326 m, the route follows the D 132 main road almost entirely for 25 km. The climb begins gently with two short sections of 1.7 km and 2.2 km gaining 44 m and 51 m at average gradients of about 2.5%. After 6.5 km, the main ascent stretches 18.7 km, climbing 1315 m at an average gradient of 7%, with steep sections up to 11.3% and a maximum recorded gradient of 22.8% over 500 m near the start.

The route is 99% paved and mainly on main roads without cycle lanes. There is a single very short stretch of gravel. Facilities such as a bakery, convenience store, water point, toilets, and a bike shop are all located near the start in Arette. Beyond 0.2 km, there are no cafés, shops, or water points for the rest of the route. Notable nearby points include the château at the start and the Soum de Soudet peak close to 21.5 km.

Why ride this route?

Climbs Pierre St Martin (18.7 km at 7 %).
Tops out at 1,760 m, 25.2 km in.

Highlights

Col de la Pierre St Martin at 1760 m
Steep section with 22.8% gradient near start
Soum de Soudet peak near 21.5 km
Château le Blant near start

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

Ibarry 6.8 km

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
Climb	Starts at	On this ride	Full ascent	Top on this ride
Unnamed climb	1.9 km	1.7 km · 44 m · 2.6 % · max 3.6 %	—	394 m
Unnamed climb	4.1 km	2.2 km · 51 m · 2.3 % · max 3.6 %	—	445 m
Pierre St Martin	6.5 km	18.7 km · 1315 m · 7 % · max 11.3 %	18.7 km · 1315 m · 7 %	1760 m

High point 1760 m at 25.2 km; low point 326 m. Passes beneath Mail de Soulayets, Soum de Liorry, Pic Soulaing.

On this ride: the part this route climbs, cut from its own elevation profile. Full ascent: the whole named climb, measured the same way on every ride that uses it (its climb page).

Pierre St Martin · full ascent, starts at 6.5 km

18.7 km at 7% · 1315 m

< 4%4 – 7%7 – 10%> 10%

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

This is not a cycle-track route: 98% is on main roads without a cycle lane. Riders should be comfortable sharing the road with faster traffic.

Roads: 98% main road · 2% other roads and tracks
Main roads: 24.7 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Main roads used: D 132 (25 km)
Surface: Paved: 99% of the route is mapped as paved, 1% as unpaved.
Gradient: 87% climbing · 0% descending · 12% flat
Steep sections: 14.4 km over 5% · 7.6 km over 8% · 2.7 km over 10% · steepest 500 m averages 22.8% at 0 km

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 25 km, from the start. Along the route: 3 cafés and restaurants, 2 shops, 2 water points, 3 public toilets and 2 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

0 kmBoulangerie Poey · bakery · 80 m off route
0 kmEpicerie Vival · convenience store · 90 m off route
0 kmToilets · on the route
0.1 kmWater point · 70 m off route
0.2 kmCycles Tillous · bike shop · on the route

Worth a stop

0 km — Château le Blant (castle)
21.5 km — Soum de Soudet (peak, 1542 m)

Stay after this ride

Hôtel du Pic d'Anie · hotel · 1.8 km from the finish
Les Balcons du Pic d'Anie · hotel · 1.9 km from the finish
Pescamou · hotel · 1.8 km from the finish
Arlas · hotel · 1.9 km from the finish
Mahourat · hotel · 1.9 km from the finish

Start and access

Starts at Arette. Mapped within a short walk of the start and finish, from OpenStreetMap.

At the start

Bikes and repair: Cycles Tillous (190 m)
Food and coffee: Boulangerie Poey (80 m), Le Bistrot de l'Ours (100 m)
Shops: Epicerie Vival (100 m), Vival (100 m)

Know before you go

25 km without café, shop or water after 0.2 km
24.7 km on main roads without cycle lane
Steepest 500 m at 22.8% gradient near start
7.6 km over 8% gradient, 2.7 km over 10%

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

2 photographs from the road

Photo: This illustration was made by Peter Potrowl. Please credit this with : © Peter Potrowl in the immediate vicinity of the image. A link to my website sitemai.eu would be much appreciated but isn't mandatory. An email to Peter Potrowl would be appreciated too. Do not copy this image illegally by ignoring the terms of the license below, as it is not in the public domain. If you would like special permission to use, license, or purchase the image please contact me Peter Potrowl to negotiate terms. More free pictures in my website. Donations are accepted here and here. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: S. Rae from Scotland, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Gilles Guillamot · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

About this route

Route line: Routed on OpenStreetMap roads with bicycle routing, then measured like a recorded ride.
Elevation: Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services: Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
Best months: Ten years of ERA5 weather for Arette (Open-Meteo).
GPX: Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added: Sunday 30th August 2026
Page last updated: Friday 4th September 2026

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Col de la Pierre St Martin from Arette