A paved road to Port de Pailheres heading deep into the Pyrenees
France, europe
26 km
2,001 m
hard
Year-round
Nestled in the French Pyrenees at a lofty 2,001m (6,565ft), Port de Pailhères is a seriously impressive high mountain pass in the Ariège department of southwestern France. The summit itself has a parking area where you can catch your breath and take in the views.
The route to the top—known locally as D25—is entirely paved, though fair warning: it's pretty narrow and gets progressively wilder as you climb higher. Traffic is refreshingly minimal, which means you'll mostly have the mountain to yourself, though that also means the sense of exposure becomes more pronounced the further you go. It's actually one of only two paved passes in the French Pyrenees that break the 2,000m barrier (the other being the famous Col du Tourmalet).
Expect to spend somewhere between 35 and 50 minutes driving straight through without stops, though honestly, you'll probably want to pause for photos. The climb is no joke either—those pesky mountain grades hit a chunky 15.9% near the summit. Legend has it the Tour de France cyclists have tackled this beast too.
The full 26km (16.15 miles) stretch runs west to east, connecting Ax-les-Thermes with Mijanès. So whether you're a serious rider, a cyclist training for glory, or just someone who loves a killer mountain drive, this is one for the bucket list.
Where is it?
A paved road to Port de Pailheres heading deep into the Pyrenees is located in France (europe). Coordinates: 46.0964, 1.2882
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 26 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,001 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 46.0964, 1.2882
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