At 2,215 metres the Col de Portet is the highest paved road in the central Pyrenees — 100 metres higher than the Tourmalet, and considerably less visited. The road from Saint-Lary-Soulan switchbacks past the Pla d'Adet ski station and into genuine alpine terrain, and the final kilometres above 2,000 metres are among the most exposed and spectacular tarmac in the range.
Above 2,000 Metres — Where the Landscape Changes Register
The transition from the ski-station environment at Pla d'Adet to the genuine alpine terrain above it is one of the sharpest landscape changes on any Pyrenees road. Above 2,000 metres, the pistes end, the snow poles that mark the road in winter become visible, and the scale of what surrounds you becomes apparent. The road continues upward across what feels like the roof of the range.
"The Tourmalet has the fame. The Portet has the altitude, the silence, and the particular feeling of being somewhere that most people drove past without knowing it existed."
The 2021 Tour de France — Pogačar's Day
In July 2021, Tadej Pogačar won a Tour de France stage at this summit, riding away from the peloton on the final climb as if the gradient did not apply to him. The mountain barely noticed. For the motorcyclist who rides to the top and finds the summit empty and the view infinite, that context is satisfying in a particular way.
Col de Portet — Practical Notes
- Altitude 2,215m — highest paved pass in the central Pyrenees
- Open season July to September reliably; early June and October weather-dependent
- Temperature Can be 18–20°C cooler than the valley floor — always bring layers
- Fuel Saint-Lary-Soulan — fill up before the climb; nothing at the summit
- Traffic Significantly lighter than the Tourmalet
