Road trip guide: Conquering Mur de Peguere in the Occitanie
France, europe
27 km
1,375 m
moderate
Year-round
Mur de Péguère is a mountain pass sitting pretty at 1,375m (4,511ft) in France's Occitanie region, specifically in the Ariège department down in the southwestern Pyrenees. This beast is also known as Col de Péguère, and it's definitely earned its fearsome reputation among cyclists.
The road here is D17—a fully paved route that's narrow in stretches and runs 27km (17 miles) from Serres-sur-Arget to Massat, heading north-south through the stunning Massif de l'Arize. The climb's gotten the attention of the Tour de France for good reason.
Here's where it gets spicy: while the average gradient is a deceptive 7.9%, don't let that fool you. If you're tackling it from Massat (the shorter route), you're looking at 9.8km (6.1 mi) with 726m (2,382 ft) of elevation gain at an average 7.4% grade. Sounds manageable until you hit the section after Col des Caougnous—that's where the road ramps up to brutal 18%+ pitches that'll have your legs screaming.
Coming from the Serres-sur-Arget side? You're in for the long haul: 18km (11 mi) climbing 872m (2,861 ft) at a gentler 4.8% average. The scenery alone makes the effort worth it, but those steeper kicks will test your mettle. You can also connect via the descent from Col de Portel if you're chaining climbs together.
Where is it?
Road trip guide: Conquering Mur de Peguere in the Occitanie is located in France (europe). Coordinates: 45.7853, 1.9671
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 27 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,375 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- 45.7853, 1.9671
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