Aspin and Tourmalet Classic
A proper Pyrenean climbing day combining Col d’Aspin and the eastern side of the Tourmalet.
- Distance
- 75 to 115 km
- Elevation Gain
- 2,200 to 3,200 m
- Ride Time
- 5 to 8 hours
- Difficulty
- Hors Catégorie
- Surface
- Road
- Start
- Bagnères de Bigorre, Arreau or Sainte Marie de Campan
- Best Season
- June to September
Aspin and Tourmalet are one of the most logical Pyrenean combinations. Aspin gives the day its first serious climb. Tourmalet gives it the headline. Together, they create a route that feels like a proper mountain stage without needing to invent complexity.
This is not a route for half legs. Both climbs are manageable when ridden well, but the combination is serious. The trick is not to make Aspin feel easy by riding it too hard. Save the big effort for Tourmalet.
How to Build This Ride
- Choose your base depending on which climb you want to start with.
- Use Col d’Aspin as the first major climb.
- Refuel before moving towards Sainte Marie de Campan.
- Climb Tourmalet from the east side.
- Return by the safest and most logical valley route.
Villages & Coffee Stops
- Arreau, Sainte Marie de Campan and Bagnères de Bigorre are the main anchors. The route you choose depends heavily on where you sleep, so build the GPX around your actual base rather than forcing a generic loop.
Make it shorter
Ride Tourmalet only, or ride Aspin as a focused out and back.
Make it harder
Add extra valley distance, but do not underestimate the climbing already in the route. Aspin plus Tourmalet is enough for most riders.
Local Notes
This is a fuelling route. Eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirsty. The second climb will punish lazy planning.
This is a flexible ride idea, not a turn-by-turn route. Use the climbs, villages and notes above to build your own GPX in Komoot, Strava, Ride with GPS or another planner before you ride.
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