Fantastic Pyrenean climbs: Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin - The Col de la Pierre Saint Martin in profile
A total of seven variants lead to the top of the pass, six of which are on the north side. The classic route from the north climbs from the village of Arette to the top of the pass - via an awe-inspiring ramp that even surpasses the legendary Col du Tourmalet in terms of difficulty and altitude difference. The extremely unrhythmic climb with numerous steep steps with gradients of up to 13 per cent is likely to be a decisive factor in this year's 10th stage of the Tour de France - especially as the race day ends just below the top of the pass in the Pierre Martin ski station. Curious: the pass has only been crossed by the peloton once before, in 2007.
The Pierre Saint-Martin is also exceptional because of its landscape. While its northern side is dominated by the typical green of the Atlantic Pyrenees in the lower section, from the tree line you climb onto a peculiar karst plateau, through impassable terrain of porous rocks dominated by the rugged pyramid of the 2,504 metre high Pic d'Anie. The visual highlight of the rocky desert, however, follows on the much flatter Spanish side: after a two-kilometre descent, the road curves through a 360-degree bend - similar to the famous tie knot of the Sa Calobra road on Mallorca - and leads through a gloomy rocky corridor. The exact height of the pass remains a mystery. In the official topographical map of France, there is no indication at the summit. The following heights circulate: 1,802 metres is written on an old pass sign, 1,765 metres on signs for cyclists, Michelin maps show 1,760 metres. Our figure of 1,762 metres refers to the topo map of the Spanish National Geographic Institute.
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