How is the drive from Col de Portet to the summit?
France, europe
N/A
N/A
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: You're in the French Pyrenees, Hautes-Pyrénées to be exact, standing near the commune of , ready for a ridiculously scenic drive.
You're about to tackle the Crête de la Soumaye. This isn't your average Sunday cruise. We're talking about a short, sharp climb right from the end of the asphalt at the famous Col de Portet. Clocking in at just
, this "road" is a punchy climb, gaining 128 meters super fast. That's an average gradient of 11.6%!
Think of it like this: it's a classic, high-altitude service road twisting through ski resort infrastructure. They use it for chairlift maintenance, so you know it's gonna be rugged. It’s narrow and full of loose stones just waiting to make your tires spin. Forget guardrails; you've got some serious drop-offs, so keep your eyes on the prize. A 4x4 is a MUST. Trust me, you don't want to get caught up here if a storm rolls in and turns the dirt into something slippery.
But oh, the views!
You crest that crazy steep climb and BAM! You're at 2,348 meters, and it's a 360-degree panorama of the whole freakin' Pyrenees range! You can see all the major peaks, and you're towering above the valley below. It’s exposed, wild, and the air is definitely thin. If you've just conquered Col de Portet and want to keep pushing, this is the detour for you.
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