The Col du Soulor at 1,474 metres is always discussed in relation to the Aubisque — but it deserves considerably more than supporting-act status. From Arrens-Marsous the ascent climbs through beech forest and open pasture where Pyrenean horses graze unfenced on the road and griffon vultures ride thermals overhead. Then comes the connection to the Aubisque via the Cirque du Litor cliff traverse, which changes everything.
The Ascent from Arrens-Marsous — The Better Side
From Arrens-Marsous in the valley of the Gave d'Azun, the climb to the Soulor takes you through beech forest and open pasture where Pyrenean horses graze unfenced on and beside the road. They take little notice of motorcycles. The road surface is good, the gradient manageable, and the whole ascent has a quality of pastoral calm that contrasts sharply with what comes next.
The Griffon Vultures
The Soulor plateau is one of the best locations in the French Pyrenees to observe griffon vultures at close range. The colony at Aste-Béon sends birds over the col regularly in search of thermals, and on a clear morning the sight of a dozen or more vultures riding the updrafts — each with a wingspan approaching 2.8 metres — is something worth pulling over for.
"The horses graze on the road. The vultures circle overhead. The Soulor is the Pyrenees at its most completely itself."
Col du Soulor — Practical Notes
- Altitude 1,474m — lower than the Aubisque but the better approach
- Best approach From Arrens-Marsous — pastoral, well-surfaced, progressive
- Wildlife Griffon vultures regular; Pyrenean horses graze on the road
- Traffic Significantly lighter than the Aubisque on the western side
- Always combine With the Col d'Aubisque via the Cirque du Litor
