The road crossing the high-altitude grassland at the top of the Port de Pailhères, at 2,001 m, under a blue sky

Road cycling

Altitude cycling camp: the great passes of the Ariège Pyrenees

An apartment at 1,000 m altitude and, around Ax-les-Thermes, legendary passes: Pailhères, Beille, Puymorens, Chioula. Enough to string together climbs for a week or a whole training camp.

Port de Pailhères2,001 m
Col de Puymorens1,920 m
Plateau de Beille1,790 m
Col du Chioula1,431 m

The programme

Four climbs, four characters

Approximate figures taken from sites specialising in mountain passes (distance, elevation gain, average gradient): always check your route before setting off.

From Ax-les-Thermes

Port de Pailhères

19 km+ 1,266 m6.7% on average2,001 m

A great pass of the Ariège Pyrenees, at 2,001 m. The Tour de France has gone over it several times between 2003 and 2013. The gradient gets harder in the last kilometres, before a very open summit.

Port de Pailhères guide

From Les Cabannes

Plateau de Beille

15.8 km+ 1,255 m7.9% on average1,790 m

A steady, demanding climb, with stretches above 10%, ending in a dead end at the Nordic resort. Several Tour de France stage finishes.

Plateau de Beille guide

From Ax-les-Thermes

Col de Puymorens

27 km+ 1,200 m4.4% on average1,920 m

The long, steady climb towards the Cerdanya. For most of the route the road is shared with the Andorra road: expect more traffic, especially in summer.

From Ax-les-Thermes

Col du Chioula

9.7 km+ 711 m7.3% on average1,431 m

The shortest of the four, and the easiest to reach from the apartment: ideal for a first outing, or to combine with another pass in the same day.

To go higher: the Port d’Envalira, in Andorra, reaches 2,408 m. See the Andorra page.

Why here

Sleep at 1,000 m, climb up to 2,000

Ignaux sits at around 1,000 m, in the upper Ariège valley. Every day you can change pass without repeating the same route: Pailhères (2,001 m), Puymorens (1,920 m), Beille (1,790 m), and even Envalira (2,408 m) if you push on into Andorra.

Rides start from Ax-les-Thermes, 5 km away, or from Les Cabannes for Beille. The village stays quiet in the evening, which matters when you are stringing outings together.

The hairpins of the road and the ridges seen from the Port de Pailhères, in the Ariège Pyrenees

Sample programme

A week to string the passes together

An example, to adapt to your level and the weather: in the mountains, look at the sky before climbing.

Warm-up: Chioula
9.7 km from Ax-les-Thermes to get used to the gradients before climbing higher.
The long ride: Puymorens
27 steady km, easier on paper but long: bring enough to eat and drink.
The big pass: Pailhères
19 km up to 2,001 m. Keep the day for good weather.

The finale: Beille
15.8 km from Les Cabannes, with an average gradient of 7.9%.
A recovery day
Feet in the hot water of the Bassin des Ladres, in Ax-les-Thermes. See the town.
Or an extra sports day
Padel 200 m from the residence, or the pool in summer. See the sport page.

The accommodation

A simple base for cyclists

Washing machine

Handy for washing your kit during a training camp.

Equipped kitchen

Hob, oven, dishwasher, Senseo coffee maker: prepare your meals before and after your rides.

Self check-in

Key lockbox with a code, check-in from 3 pm: handy after a long journey.

Free parking

Parking on site is free, for the car and the gear.

Bike storage. Before booking, ask through the Airbnb listing how to store your bikes during the stay.

Preparing your rides

Guides and maps of the passes

Questions

About cycling and training camps

What altitude is the accommodation at?

Ignaux is at about 1,000 m altitude, 5 km from Ax-les-Thermes. From the village, the passes climb up to 1,800–2,000 m, and up to 2,408 m for the Port d’Envalira, in Andorra.

Which passes can you climb from Ax-les-Thermes?

The Port de Pailhères (2,001 m), the Col de Puymorens (1,920 m) and the Col du Chioula (1,431 m) start from Ax-les-Thermes. The Plateau de Beille (1,790 m) is climbed from Les Cabannes, in the neighbouring valley, towards Tarascon-sur-Ariège.

Can I book for a training camp with friends?

The apartment sleeps up to 4 guests (31 m²) and the minimum stay is 2 nights. For a group camp, ask your questions through the Airbnb listing, especially about bike storage.

Is there a washing machine for kit?

Yes, the apartment has a washing machine, a dishwasher and a fully equipped kitchen. There is no tumble dryer, but the bathroom heating includes a heated towel rail.

Going further