Col de Puymorens (Latour-de-Carol)

Start Town	Altitude	Elevation Gain	Length	Gradient	Difficulty	Rating
Latour-de-Carol	1,920m	670m	18.8 km	3.4%	297	*

Climb Description

Col de Puymorens is a frustrating climb for cyclists for several reasons. It has pleasant scenery, is the gateway to Andorra and is a long and gentle climb to high altitude.

However, we strongly recommend that you avoid cycling here due to the volume of traffic. This side of the climbs is slightly better than the route from Ax-les-Thermes, as the road is a bit quieter, is wider and also has better visibility. But there are still many trucks and cars which drive at high speed and make for quite unpleasant riding conditions.

There are many better climbs in this area, both in France and Andorra, and this one should be avoided if posisble.

Col de Puymorens is usually open from around April to November. In the winter the tunnel takes motor vehicles under the highest part of the climb - but bicycles are not allowed through here.

Roads & Traffic

The road surface is in good condition throughout.

There is a lot of traffic on this climb, including heavy goods vehicles. This is one of the busiest roads across the Pyrenees and is not a good choice for cyclists.

Alternative Routes

Col de Puymorens can also be climbed from Ax-les-Thermes. This is just as busy and dangerous as from the north.

Nearby Climbs

Port d'Envalira

Ax-3 Domaines

Col du Chioula

Port de Pailhères

Col de Marmare

Plateau de Beille

Col de Port

Port de Lers

Cycling Holidays

We don't currently run any tours that include this climb and do not recommend it for riding.

However, on our Pyrenees Coast to Coast cycling holiday we do tackle several of the quieter climbs nearby, including Port de Pailheres and Plateau de Beille.

Check out the information below for details of this and some of the other tours that we run in high mountains.