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Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes

4.6
12 reviews | Elevation profile | 12 photos
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Elevation profile Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes

Statistics

Difficulty points 1078
Length 18.6 km
Average gradient 6.7%
Steepest 100 meters 15.9%
Total ascent 1247m

Short recap

Beautiful scenery
Hidden gem
12 hairpin turns
#80 toughest climb of France
#17 most elevation gain of Occitania
#60 longest climb of Occitania
#95 average steepest climb of Ariège
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Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes is a climb in the region Ariège. It is 18.6km long and bridges 1247 vertical meters with an average gradient of 6.7%, resulting in a difficulty score of 1078. The top of the ascent is located at 1998 meters above sea level. Climbfinder users shared 12 reviews of this climb and uploaded 12 photos.

Road names: D613 & D25

Photos (12)

Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes

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Reviews (12)

5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
Sugar_Pepette
4 Mo 5.0 01:44:00 (10.7km/h)
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: French. Show original

Difficult, long and pleasant climb with superb views. The last 5 kilometres are terrible. Be careful in the heat, too, as the tarmac increases the effect of the "heat". Very little traffic on this road

Montée difficile, longue et agréable avec de superbes vues. Les 5 derniers kilomètres sont terribles. Attention aussi avec la chaleur car le goudron augmente l'effet de "chaud". Route très peu fréquentée par les voitures

Dashboard
wamukk
1 y 4.0 01:48:38 (10.3km/h)
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: German. Show original

I started from the junction where the D25 starts, just below Ascou. The first part of the climb is fairly flat with a few ramps, however things pick up after about 2km and the road is a fairly constant 8-10% until the last of the first set of hairpins. You'll get some time to rest your legs over about 200m, after which the road is consistently steep until the car park just 300m from the top, after which it flattens a bit. The road is quite exposed and there are often thunderstorms with rain. Bring a raincoat, especially for the descent. There are very few side roads on the way down, so enjoy the ride down!

I started from the junction where the D25 starts, just below Ascou. The first part of the climb is fairly flat with a few ramps, however things pick up after about 2km and the road is a fairly constant 8-10% until the last of the first set of hairpins. You’ll get some time to rest your legs over about 200m, after which the road is consistently steep until the car park just 300m from the top, after which it flattens a bit. The road is quite exposed and there are often thunderstorms with rain. Bring a raincoat, especially for the descent. There are very few side roads on the way down, so enjoy the ride down!

Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Dashboard
Zgamer1609
3 y 4.0 02:07:00 (8.8km/h)
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

I did this as a training for the Mont Ventoux. This was a week before and my first col ever. It was hard work because it was hot and there was little shade. But the view at the top is worldly.

Ik heb deze gedaan als training voor de Mont Ventoux. Dit was een week van tevoren en tevens mijn eerste col ooit. Het was afzien vooral doordat het heet was en er weinig schaduw was. Maar het uitzicht op de top is werelds.

Dashboard
BasH
4 y 5.0
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

Beautiful climb, but last piece is really tough especially if temperature rises. We did climb with 35 degrees end of August, views really beautiful!

Prachtige klim, maar laatste stuk is echt zwaar zeker als temperatuur oploopt. Wij deden klim met 35 graden eind augustus, uitzichten echt prachtig!

Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Dashboard
bjk
4 y 5.0
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

Climbed 8-8-20 from Axat. Until the start of the col, you can warm up your legs on the road along the river 'Aude'. Beautiful road between girges and forests, but beware: it goes up already a few % meters. Then, after the start of the climb, a 10% piece of road slams into it. The route makes up for this: nice woody parts alternate with parts where you have to ride in the sun. The temperature changes a lot: from 21 to 39 and back again to 30 degrees. Halfway through the trip the sounds of cow bells ringing are heard, and further on, after a few nice hairpins, some goats are relaxing in the shade. I can't relax yet, I still have a few miles to go to the top. It is not equally steep everywhere (between 6.5 and 10%), but there are few places where you can give your legs a rest; this makes it a difficult climb. My legs are almost exhausted now. Near the top, the gradient is very steep and the last few hundred meters are about 10% mint. At the top, a few groups of horses are waiting for you (they don't like to get in the way of cars, haha) and you can enjoy a beautiful view. In total, the ride came to 1460 altimeters.

8-8-20 beklommen vanuit Axat. Tot het begin van de col kun je de benen lekker warm draaien op de weg die langs de rivier de 'Aude' loopt. Prachtige weg tussen girges en bossen, maar pas op: het gaat op dit stuk ook al een paar % omhoog. Dan klapt na de start van de beklimming een stuk van 10% er onverbiddelijk in. De route maakt veel goed: mooie bosrijke stukken afgewisseld met gedeeltes waar je vol in de zon rijdt. De temperatuur wisselt dan ook sterk en gaat van 21 naar 39 en weer terug naar 30 graden. Zo halverwege komen de geluiden van klingelende koebellen je tegemoet en verderop, na een paar mooie haarspeldbochten, liggen een aantal geiten in de schaduw te relaxen. Ik kan nog niet relaxen, ik moet nog een paar kilometer naar de top. Het is niet overal even steil (tussen 6,5 en10%), maar er zijn weinig plekken waar je je benen even rust kunt gunnen; dit maakt het een lastige beklimming. Mijn benen zijn nu bijna op. Bijna boven gaat het heel even ras omlaag om de laatste paar honderd meter de laatste jus uit je benen te trappen op ongeveer 10% . Op de top wachten een paar groepjes paarden je op (ze gaan niet graag voor auto's aan de kant, haha) en kun je van een prachtig uitzicht genieten. Totaal kwam de rit op 1460 hoogtemeters.

Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Col de Pailhères from Ax-les-Thermes
Dashboard
Random
Erwin
5 y
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

From Axat is first 25 km gradual climb to the foot of the mountain. Ascent is good to do. Good road surface. At the top is only a horse hut. Unfortunately no restaurant for a nice piece of cake. You cycle wonderfully on your own. Hairpin bends are beautiful.

Vanuit Axat is het eerst 25 km geleidelijk klimmen naar de voet van de berg. Beklimming is goed te doen. Prima wegdek. Op de top staat alleen een paardenhutje. Helaas geen restaurant voor een lekker stuk taart. Je fietst wel heerlijk in je eentje. Haarspeldbochten zijn mooi.

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Random
Woortman
6 y
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

07-08-2018 Departed with a threat of thunderstorms from Ax-les-Thermes. Not an easy col, but not extremely difficult either. The devil is in the tail. The last 6 km at 9% is a bit of a struggle. At the top the clouds increased a lot so we quickly turned around for the descent. I avoided stray cows on the road but not the rain. At Ascou it started to rain and we returned to Ax soaking wet. The water in Ax today comes from above and below.

07-08-2018 Vertrokken met onweersdreiging vanuit Ax-les-Thermes. Geen gemakkelijke col, maar ook niet extreem moeilijk. Het venijn zit in de staart. De laatste 6 km á 9% is even afzien. Boven gekomen bleek de bewolking zwaar toegenomen en daarom snel omgekeerd voor de afdaling. Loslopende koeien op de weg ontweken, maar de regen niet. Bij Ascou begon het te plenzen en drijfnat weer in Ax teruggekeerd. Het water komt in Ax vandaag vanonder en vanboven.

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Random
Julienpaulus
6 y
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

Not to be underestimated climb. I suffered a lot on this one but that was also due to the weather conditions. It was extremely hot, in the valley up to 40 degrees. I thought this would improve by climbing but that was not the case. The climb is very nice but offers little shade because there are hardly any trees around after the first 6km. The steepness increases with altitude. Hard work so... But the top makes us forget the suffering. Magnificent views with horses and cows roaming freely!

Niet te onderschatten klim. Heb hier zwaar op afgezien maar dat lag ook aan de weercondities. Het was extreem warm, in het dal tot wel 40 graden. Ik dacht dat dit ging beteren door te stijgen maar dat viel maar wat tegen. De klim is zeer mooi maar biedt weinig schaduw want er zijn amper bomen in de buurt na de eerste 6km. De steiltegraad stijgt met de hoogte. Afzien dus.. Maar de top doet het afzien zo vergeten. Prachtige uitzichten met paarden en koeien die vrij rondlopen!

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Random
Edward Ter Horst
7 y
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

From Axat, super nice climb with nice hairpin turns at the end. And a herd of horses at the top

Vanuit Axat, super mooie klim met mooie haarspeld bochten op het einde. En een kudden paarden op de top

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Random
Ad Bolle
8 y
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

In 2009 I cycled from the camping Ascou la Forge (1100 m) up the Pailheres with a Rohloff bike. I was 67 at the time and had only been riding in the mountains for a year. I found it quite tough. It was then for me a test case to later cycle up the Ventoux. This happened a few weeks later from Sault.

In 2009 vanaf de camping Ascou la Forge (1100 m) de Pailheres opgefietst met een Rohloff fiets. Ik was toen 67 jaar en reed pas een jaar in de bergen. Ik vond het behoorlijk pittig. Het was toen voor mij een testcase om later de Ventoux op te fietsen. Dit is een paar weken nadien gebeurd vanuit Sault.

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Random
Ton van der Scheer
8 y
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

Nice climb with good visibility and also meteorologically interesting. On October 5th in Ax-les-Thermes it was 19 degrees Celsius. I brought a jacket because I have to return to Montsegur where earlier that morning it was wet and only 12 degrees. But strangely, the higher I climb the Col de Pailhères the warmer it gets. At 1700 meters it is the warmest: 30 degrees! Right where the climb is steepest. The rest of the climb I cycle at 7 km per hour on the lowest gear. Phew. At the top it is still 26 degrees Celsius. In the descent to Usson-les-Bains the temperature drops when I dive into the clouds, to only 12 degrees Celsius indeed. Brrr.

Mooie klim met ruim zicht en ook meteorologisch boeiend. Op 5 oktober was het in Ax-les-Thermes 19 graden. Jasje mee, want ik moet nog terug naar Montsegur en daar was het eerder die morgen nat en maar 12 graden. Maar vreemd, naarmate ik hoger kom op de Col de Pailhères wordt het niet kouder, maar warmer. Op 1700 meter het warmst: 30 graden! Juist waar de klim het steilst is. Ik ga de rest van de klim op het kleinste verzetje net 7 kilometer per uur. Pfff. Helemaal op de top nog steeds 26 graden. In de afdaling naar Usson-les-Bains duikelt de temperatuur als ik de wolken in duik, naar inderdaad uiteindelijk nog maar 12 graden. Brrr.

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Random
noah
9 y
This is an automatic translation, the original language is: Dutch. Show original

super sleazy rotten thing

super sleil rot ding

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Climbing times

7 km/h 02:39:29
11 km/h 01:41:29
15 km/h 01:14:25
19 km/h 00:58:45

Road surface condition

90% 10% 0%
Based on 10 votes
Share your knowledge. What was the road condition during your ascent?

Traffic

82% 9% 9%
Based on 11 votes
Your experience counts. How much traffic did you encounter during the climb?