Road · France
Hautacam from Argelès-Gazost
A mountainous 17 km road cycling route from Argelès-Gazost through Couture-Bague, Houssat and Pouey-Pérous, with 1,099 m of climbing over Courade de Maucasau.
At a glance
- Best for
- Short, climbing-heavy rides
- Distance
- 16.9 km
- Elevation gain
- 1,099 m
- Riding time
- 1 h 12 min
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Bike
- Road bike
- Surface
- Paved
- Traffic
- Mostly minor roads
- Food & water
- Regular
- Best months
- May to Oct
- Navigation
- GPX download
- Start → finish
- Argelès-Gazost
Map and elevation profile
Elevation profile
- 1,099 m
- 17 km
Route description
- Argelès-Gazost
- Courade de Maucasau
- Couture-Bague
- Houssat
- Pouey-Pérous
- Ayros
- Arbouix
- Souin
- Artalens-Souin
Starting in Argelès-Gazost, this route leads through several small places including Couture-Bague, Houssat, Pouey-Pérous, Ayros-Arbouix, Arbouix, Vier-Bordes, Souin, Artalens-Souin, and Saint-André before reaching Hautacam. The climb begins shortly after 1.5 km and continues for 15.1 km, gaining 1098 m at an average gradient of 7.3% with a maximum of 11.2%. The road surface is almost entirely paved, with 99% paved and only 1% gravel or unpaved sections. The route is mainly on minor roads (89%) with a small portion on quiet streets (8%). The longest named road ridden is the D 100 for 14.9 km.
Why ride this route?
- Climbs Courade de Maucasau (15 km at 7.3 %).
- Tops out at 1,519 m, 16.6 km in.
Highlights
- Climb length 15.1 km with 1098 m gain
- Peaks near route: Soum de Peyre Dufau, Soum de Tramassel
- Boulangerie Dirasse Le Puits d'Amour bakery at 1.5 km
- Café Le Hautacam at the finish
Along the route
Places passed
Climbs
| Climb | Starts at | On this ride | Full ascent | Top on this ride |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courade de Maucasau | 1.5 km | 15.1 km · 1098 m · 7.3 % · max 11.2 % | 15 km · 1098 m · 7.3 % | 1519 m |
Courade de Maucasau · full ascent, starts at 1.5 km
< 4%4 – 7%7 – 10%> 10%
Traffic, surface and gradient
Mostly minor roads and streets on the map.
- Roads
- 87% minor road · 10% quiet street · 3% other roads and tracks
- Main roads used
- D 100 (15 km)
- Surface
- Paved: 98% of the route is mapped as paved, 2% as unpaved.
- Gradient
- 87% climbing · 5% descending · 8% flat
- Steep sections
- 12.8 km over 5% · 6.5 km over 8% · 2.2 km over 10%
Food, water and services
No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 32 cafés and restaurants, 6 shops, 5 water points, 2 petrol stations, 8 public toilets and 4 bike shops.
Food, water and shops in ride order
- 0 kmDrinking water · 100 m off route
- 0.4 kmToilets · 50 m off route
- 0.9 kmPharmacie des Pyrénées · pharmacy · on the route
- 1.1 kmCarrefour Market · supermarket · 60 m off route
- 1.3 kmCarrefour · petrol station · 40 m off route
- 1.5 kmBoulangerie Dirasse Le Puits d'Amour · bakery · on the route
- 3.2 kmFTC SPORT · bike shop · 230 m off route
- 4.3 kmDrinking water · on the route
- 7.6 kmCafé Restaurant Isaby · restaurant · 40 m off route
- 16.8 kmLe Hautacam · café · 120 m off route
Worth a stop
- 16.8 km — Mountain Luge (attraction)
Stay after this ride
- Gite La Hount · hotel · 3.1 km from the finish
Start and access
At the start
- Food and coffee
- Boulangerie patisserie Dirasse (110 m), Chez Vignau (130 m), Au Primerose (30 m)
At the finish
- Food and coffee
- Le Hautacam (120 m), Le Tramassel (380 m), Auberge de l'Arrioutou (910 m)
Know before you go
- No café, shop, or water for 6.3 km from 7.6 to 13.9 km