At 2,115 metres, the Tourmalet is the highest paved pass in the French Pyrenees, and it has a reputation to match. The name is said to mean something like bad detour in the local Occitan, and the Tour de France has used it since 1910, when the riders on their heavy single-gear bikes were so exhausted that one of them, Octave Lapize, is reported to have shouted at the organisers that they were murderers. A century on, it remains one of the most iconic climbs in cycling, and on any summer day you will share the road with riders in lycra suffering for the photo at the summit.
The pass links Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, on the Bigorre side, with Barèges and Luz-Saint-Sauveur on the western side. From the east, the road climbs through green meadows and past the ski station of La Mongie, then onto bare, high slopes where the trees give out and the sky seems to open. The gradients are steady, the bends are long and wide with a few hairpins near the top, and the surface is generally good. From the west, the road is narrower, steeper and more twisty, passing through Barèges before the final haul. Both sides are a joy on a bike, with the road clear and the views huge.
Do not underestimate the weather. At this altitude, cloud, wind and sudden cold can arrive within minutes, even in summer, and fog on the summit is common. The pass is closed in winter by snow, usually from around November until late spring, and may open and close with the weather, so check before heading out. Early and late in the day are the quietest times. At the summit, a famous bronze statue of a cyclist, the Géant du Tourmalet, marks the highest point, and a couple of cafés and souvenir stalls sell warm drinks and snacks.
The nearby Pic du Midi de Bigorre, a high observatory reached by cable car from La Mongie, is one of the great sites for astronomy, with very clear skies. Wildlife on the slopes includes marmots, which whistle at intruders, and griffon vultures cruise on the thermals.
Fill up in Bagnères-de-Bigorre on the east side, or Luz-Saint-Sauveur on the west, before you start, and bring a warm layer, since even a summer descent can be cold.