# Pyrenean Passes



## jemshome (Nov 10, 2007)

Has anyone experience of Col du Tourmalet or Col du Soulor/Col d'Aubisque?

Planning route that could include them around mid/late September in 7.4m Hymer Starline B680.

No problem? Difficult? or Impossible?

Thanks in anticipation.

jem


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## Ifor (Oct 21, 2006)

Done the Col du Tourmalet from the west took about an hour and 45 mis to get up on my mountain bike, was sleating at the top early October. I froze going back down was glad I could put he heater on in the van to warm back up at the bottom......

Seriously it's a fairly big wide road, fairly sure I saw coaches going over when I spent a night on the top so I don't think you should have any trouble.

Ifor


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## apxc15 (Dec 1, 2007)

Have you considered Pas De La Casa with the added bonus of picking up your duty free in Andorra on the other side.


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## 107990 (Oct 30, 2007)

Haven't been over those but have been through the tunnel at Col de Somport several times. To my mind it's one of the must see sights in europe. It's all toll free and and is both a marvel and quite beautiful. The Val de Aspe on the french side is a terrific place and there are several excellent wild camp spots there.


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## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

We drove up the col de Tourmalet ( from the West )

in our car twice a couple of years ago.


We camped up there for the Tour de France. 

The road was long and winding and apart from the kids feeling sick it was OK

It would be a real long stretch in a 7.5 metre motorhome but definately do able. I don't know if it would do it any good ! I am not sure what the weight limit is on the road and wonder if there are other vehicular restrictions on the west route.

From the other direction it is easy and there were loads of motorhomes going up and down that way..

If you follow the link below and choose Tour de France there are a couple of pictures


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Cando*

Jem,

Is your MH Base a Mercedes ?

Trev.


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## Medallionman (Nov 26, 2005)

Have done a number of these passes. One thing to be aware of is that in some places the rock overhangs the road at about over-cab bed height which means that you have to stay further out to the middle of the road, usually on bends, and being RHD(?) have to be extra careful of oncoming traffic.
Brian


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Overhangs*



Medallionman said:


> Have done a number of these passes. One thing to be aware of is that in some places the rock overhangs the road at about over-cab bed height which means that you have to stay further out to the middle of the road, usually on bends, and being RHD(?) have to be extra careful of oncoming traffic.
> Brian


Same thing with the Route Napolean and the back road from Haugesund to Oslo.

During daylight, Pull up, open windows, sound horn (Air if you have them) and pray. If the people in the opposite direction do the same all should be okay.


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## jemshome (Nov 10, 2007)

*More information ...*

Many thanks for replies and advice.

(Trev - yes Mercedes based Starline)

I have been using PC Navigator to plan routes - using truck mode. Initial trials have proved very successful for roads I know in Scotland. I decided to check what it came up with against Mitchelin maps for Europe - particularly for some proposed sections in French Alps & Pyrenees.

I guess we will have done around 2000 miles by the time we get to Le Rioumajour, 2/3rds through trip - so should have a good idea if 'VeraJoan' and drivers are still willing to tackle the impossible or even the difficult!

I put up this post when the software automatically identified Col 'd Aspin and Col du Tourmalat for the 55 miles from Le Rioumajou to Le Pain de Sucre. Questions arose in my mind when I saw that the map had the section west of Col du T' marked as 'difficult or dangerous section'.

When I tried the next stage to Les Graves (52 miles 2 days later) I had to really work hard to force the route through Col d'Aubisque - especially the descent through Col de Soular. When I did it carried the warning 'some roads blocked'! No indication of difficult/dangerous section on Mitchelin. Not sure how clever the software is - from research I gather this pass is only open from June to December - gut feeling is that this is probably not the answer!

Given the relatively short distances I was hoping routes would be okay if we broke the journeys into 3 or 4 stages.

Thanks for the other suggested routes - will add to possibilites when we are down there - have book a couple of nights at Le Pre-Lombard through CC, but rest of time in the area is flexible.

Opps - why did I not think to check CC's Europe I! Just did ....

Tourmalet - MWR 3.5m, max gradient 1:8, (VJ is 2.6m including wing mirrors) - narrow sections sound tight, but sufficiently guarded - sounds difficult - approach with caution.

Aubisque - MWR 3.5m, max gradient 1:10, easy ascent BUT decent via Soular includes 5 miles of very narrow rough unguarded road with steep drop - sounds as if its getting a bit of an adventure, possible madness!

Continued comments much appreciated ....

PS - will probably revisit some of the Alpine passes over next week and be looking for similar advice for those. Watch this space.


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## jemshome (Nov 10, 2007)

*Thanks to Bikers*

_Note for moderators & Nuke ....

I originally posted this around the time the server migration - I think it went to the original server after the migration image had been taken - so I have re-posted_

Found this site that has excellent information/pictures/movies of the passes ...

http://www.steephill.tv/galleries/2005/high-pyrenees/

pictures include a few motorhomes in the background.

Looking more possible providing weight limit I can barely see on one of the pics is okay.

jem


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## jemshome (Nov 10, 2007)

*Helpful response from Office de Tourisme de Lourdes*

I sought help from the Office de Tourisme in Lourdes and had this helpful response that may be of interest to others ...

_
There are restrictions for buses only for the Soulor and Aubisque passes. Buses can cross from west to east from 8am to 13pm and from east to west from 13 pm.

It will be also ok for the Tourmalet pass._

jem


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Hills*

Hello,

If you have a 316/416 the Merc should climb with ease as they are designed for climbing. The small wheels and drive ratio combination provide great power.

Might go down to the Pyrenees in September.

Trev.


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## ColinC (Oct 19, 2007)

Hi Jem

Done Aubisque twice and Soulor once in Rapido with Merc 313CDI : piece of cake, don't worry about it! Approach from west is wide, well graded and without any really vicious bends. OK - it gets narrow as you head for the Soulor , but much easier than a Devon country lane!

Colin


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## jemshome (Nov 10, 2007)

Colin - thanks for relating your personal experience - appreciated.

jem


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## ColinC (Oct 19, 2007)

*Pryneean Passes*

Hi Jem,

An update on my earlier posting as we have just got home from the Pyrenees. This time we drove over the Col du Tourmalet from west to east. The road up from Bareges is narrow with a poor road surface that deteriorates the closer you get to the top. Although there are few hairpins that send you back virtually where you came from, there are still quite a few tight bends with poor visibility. In places it would be quite tricky passing a lorry or coach or indeed another large motorhome. The descent to La Mongie has a brand new surface and visibility is better even though it is still quite narrow. How ever it is a steep descent which goes on for a long way. Even using 2nd gear and dabbing the brakes rather than keeping them on all the time the brakes were very hot before we got down. Had to stop for an hour and let them cool off! First time it has happened to me on any alpine or pyreneean pass.

Colin


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Don't forget to leave your Thetford trap open a crack to avoid the dreaded blow-back !

( I believe newer models have a valve to prevent this but don't know what model your loo is)

G


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## jemshome (Nov 10, 2007)

Colin - thanks for the update & G for the grizzly reminder! 

Our intention is to travel in the opposite direction from East to West enroute from St Lary-Soulan to Gavarnie, so we will suffer the poor surface on the way down. As indeed will the cyclists on Monday. Intend to watch ITV4's coverage of letour with keen interest over next couple of nights!

jem


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

*Re: Pryneean Passes*



ColinC said:


> Hi Jem,
> 
> An update on my earlier posting as we have just got home from the Pyrenees. This time we drove over the Col du Tourmalet from west to east. The road up from Bareges is narrow with a poor road surface that deteriorates the closer you get to the top. Although there are few hairpins that send you back virtually where you came from, there are still quite a few tight bends with poor visibility. In places it would be quite tricky passing a lorry or coach or indeed another large motorhome. The descent to La Mongie has a brand new surface and visibility is better even though it is still quite narrow. How ever it is a steep descent which goes on for a long way. Even using 2nd gear and dabbing the brakes rather than keeping them on all the time the brakes were very hot before we got down. Had to stop for an hour and let them cool off! First time it has happened to me on any alpine or pyreneean pass.
> 
> Colin


Hi Colin,
As an ex International Truckes and I used to gp over the Pyreneese nearly weekly, I can say that you have got it in one.
There is no problem in climbing up, the problem is in coming down.
It should take longer to come down than go up and you should NOT use your brakes at all if you can help it.
Use your gears as too many drivers have been killed by brake fade (running out of brakes)


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## nukeadmin (Oct 10, 2003)

We too drove up to Col du Tourmalet, don't remember any issues but do remember the descent lol, lots of high temperature braking required, and I too had to pull over to let them cool down 



















Jue, Bradley and I did start off on the long walk to the cable car ride up to the Pic du Midi Observatory but gave in as the heat of the day was too intense lol, and I don't think Jue's heart was in it


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

*Old N121a*

I know this is not the road talked about in this thread, but the OLD N121A from Irun to Pampalona (before the tunnels were built) was notorious for trucks running out of brakes and going over the mountain.
At one time I used this road 3 times each way every month and it seemed like a truck went over the edge just about every month to 6 weeks.
There was one particular bend that was about half way down the mountain and it was after a long straight and some drivers that did not know the road had thought that they were at or near the bottom and had let the truck speed up on the straight, NOT realizing that the WORST bend was at the end of this straight. 8O 
Then disaster would strike 8O
We used to go this way to Madrid as it was debatably quicker and much better on fuel. Also it was more picturess and much quieter than the N1.
We would come all the way down the mountain on the exhaust brake and the gears with nil use of the brakes, so we could stop at anytime.


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