High Pyrenees Climbing Adventures

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The Pyrenees are a perfect place for a cycling vacation.  We offer two options for tackling many of the climbs you have seen your cycling heroes race up in past Tours de France.  The first option bases you Luz-St. Sauveur for 5 nights.  Climbs conquered will be the Tourmalet, Luz Ardiden, Hautacam, Aubusque and Soulor.

The second itinerary option is 7 nights and starts in Luz-St. Sauveur. The itinerary ventures to Luchon and Arreau for overnight stays and additional climbing opportunities. Additional climbs on the longer itinerary include Aspin, Pla d’Adet, Peyresourde, Portillon, Port de Bales.

We are known for our customizations! Please reach out to us and we can create a tour of your dreams.

See full itineraries below. Or CLICK HERE to learn more about our other big mountain tours in France.

 

Dates: Your pick! We offer tours in the French Pyrenees as early as May and as late as September. Length: 5 nights, 7 nights, or customize your own adventure. Service: Supported, Private, “Self Guided” tour. For more about how our Self Guided tours work CLICK HERE. Type of riding: Mountainous Bikes suggested: Road bikes Average daily riding: 50km Start city: Luz Saint Sauveur Finish city: Luz Saint Sauveur or Luchon Suggested transport: Train from anywhere.
We work with only local guides, cooperating with those that have a love for cycling, and a desire to show guests the beauty of the land they call home. On our self guided tours we do not bring in guides from other destination to work with you. Having the local perspective only enhances your experience, providing insider knowledge and opportunities that only a local resident can offer. From greeting guests when they arrive, to personally handling luggage transfers, to curating excursions, to problem-solving (e.g., flat tires and other unforeseen issues) our concierges assist guests daily. They also set you up on your rental bikes, and can help with routing and simple questions. Need help finding a good lunch spot? Is it raining too hard or you’re too tired to continue? The concierge is a phone call away and are there to help you! Each tour group works with a single, dedicated concierge who can be called upon for in-person assistance at any time.
We generally target 3 and 4-star hotels, which we hand select to maximize comfort while minimizing cost. The star rating is using a French rating system, which has proven to be the standard around the world. Therefore we use the same standards in France and beyond. Over the years we have developed relationships with many amazing 3 and 4-star properties that distinguish themselves as providing much more than their rating suggests. We have loved getting to know these hotels and sharing them with our guests. For tour groups wishing to upgrade their accommodations, we can provide custom pricing for four and five-star hotels, pending availability. Below are an example of some of our favorite hotels in the region that we target using on our tours, pending availability.  
Location Hotel Photo
Luz Saint Sauveur Hotel Montaigu  
Arreau Hotel d’Angleterre  
Luchon Hotel d’Angleterre  
 

All bikes come with helmet, repair kit, pump (or CO2 cartridges), lock, and water bottles. During the registration process, you will be asked for sizing specifics to ensure we have the correct sized bike waiting for you. We can supply a number of styles of pedals – please ask if you don’t see the pedal type you’re looking for on the registration form.

Road Bikes: Our rental road bikes are a racing style with drop handlebars.

  • Type – Carbon Road
  • Sizes – 50 to 62 cm
  • Components – Mixture of Shimano 105 and Ultegra with either triple or compact double cranksets. Many have road-disc brakes.

Pyrenees Road Bike

 

 

 

 

 

eBikes: These semi-powered bikes allow for nonriders to share the experience with their friends and family who are stronger cyclists.

  • Type – Electric assist eBikes
  • Sizes – S, M & L
  • Components – Mixture of Shimano Acera and Deore.

Pyrenees eBike

WHAT IS INCLUDED:
  • All hotel accommodations – mostly 3 and 4 star but ask for custom accommodation requests.
  • An OBT cycling jersey!
  • Detailed route notes, maps, and tourist information. This includes standard cue sheet, and GPS courses to upload to your own GPS device.
  • Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel.
  • Meals as explained in the tour itinerary pages. Usually this means all breakfasts, no lunches, and some dinners.
  • Access to your personal guide/concierge (See Guides/Concierge tab).
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
  • Transportation to start location and from finish location.
  • Bikes, but we have rental bikes available.
  • Travel and Health Insurance.
  • Admission to sightseeing venues, unless explicitly mentioned as included.

Tour Cost Per Person – 5 Night:

  • Double Occupancy: US$2,095
  • Single Occupancy: US$2,395 (for single room occupancy on multiple person tours)
  • Solo Tour: Please contact us

Tour Cost Per Person – 7 Night:

  • Double Occupancy: US$2,895
  • Single Occupancy: US$3,495 (for single room occupancy on multiple person tours)
  • Solo Tour: Please contact us

Bike Rental Per Person:

  • Road Bike: US$350
What’s Next? Registering for your tour! Questions: First, please feel free to ask us any questions about the tour. We are happy to help clarify any details. Registration: Once you are ready to register please go to https://outfittertours.com/registration/ and complete the registration form. EACH tour participant will need to complete the form. At the end of the registration for you will be asked for a US$800 deposit. You can pay the deposit by bank check, wire, or credit card. Once we have all registrations we will secure all of the details of your tour – hotels, bikes, etc. Final Payment: 60 days prior to your tour we will invoice you for the balance of the tour. Tour Packet Delivery: Once the balance is paid and approximately 30 days before your tour we will send you a complete tour packet containing all details of your tour – accommodation information, detailed routing, a suggested packing list, maps, tourist guide, and much much more! For more information on our Terms & Conditions please CLICK HERE.

Daily Itineraries:

5 Night Option (1 hotel)
Day 1:  Toulouse to Luz-St. Sauveur – Luz Ardiden warm-up
Arrive in Toulouse and be transferred to our favorite Pyrenees village, Luz-St. Sauveur, the base point of many famous climbs.  If you get there early enough, you will have time to assemble your bike and tackle the 14km ascent to the Luz-Ardiden ski station.

Day 2:  Gavarnie or Lourdes
Up hill to Gavarnie or down hill to Lourdes – your choice.  Taking the road up to Gavarnie you will have the chance to ride all the way to Spain (if you don’t mind a bit of gravel riding

Day 3:  Hautacam
Lance Armstrong, Marco Pantani, and others have done battle on this climb.  It is one of our favorites, and among the most difficult.

Day 4:  Col du Tourmalet
2010 marked the 100th anniversary of the use of this mountain as a cycling destination.  18 amazing kilometers up from Luz-St. Sauveur.

Day 5:  Col d’Aubisque & Soulor
This double-peaked climb is often used to transition the Tour de France from one side of the Pyrenees to the other.  Take it all in today!  It is your last in the Pyrenees.

Day 6:  Luz-St. Sauveur to Toulouse
We transfer you by van you back to Toulouse, either to the airport or the train station.

 

7 Night Option (3 hotels):
Day 1:  Toulouse to Luz-St. Sauveur – Luz Ardiden warm-up
Arrive in Toulouse and be transferred to our favorite Pyrenees town, Luz-St. Sauveur, the base point of many famous climbs.  If you get there early enough, you will have time to assemble your bike and tackle the 14km ascent to the Luz-Ardiden ski station.

Day 2:  Hautacam
Lance Armstrong, Marco Pantani, and others have done battle on this climb.  It is one of our favorites, and among the most difficult.

Day 3:  Col d’Aubisque & Soulor
This double-peaked climb is often used to transition the Tour de France from one side of the Pyrenees to the other.  Take it all in today!  It is your last evening in Luz-St. Sauveur.

Day 4:  Col du Tourmalet & Aspin to Arreau
Today is a big day!  Both the Tourmalet and Aspin are on schedule as you transfer to your next hotel.

Day 5:  Pla d’Adet & Loudenvielle Loop
Enjoy a beautiful ride that includes the climb that George Hincapie captured in a big mountaintop finish in 2005.

Day 6:  Arreau to Luchon via Col de Peyresourde
Another transfer day and another beautiful often used climb.

Day 7:  Col de Portillon & Bales Loop
Ready to speak Spanish?  Today’s loop heads into Espana and back.  Make the most of today – today is the last day on the bike!

Day 8:  Luchon to Toulouse
We transfer you back to Toulouse to either the airport or the train station.

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