The Collada de Toses is a Pyrenean pass at about 1,800 metres, on the road between Ripoll and Puigcerdà, and it is one of those places where you feel the landscape change as you cross it. On the south side, the valley of the Freser is green and wooded. On the north, the high basin of the Cerdanya opens out, broad and bright, with snow-covered peaks to the horizon in winter and spring.
The road is old, and it has been a route between the Catalan lowlands and the Cerdanya for centuries. The village of Toses lies just below the summit, a cluster of stone houses with a Romanesque church, and used to be a stopping place for muleteers and merchants. Nowadays the road mostly carries holiday traffic to the ski resorts of La Molina and Masella, with trucks using the tunnel under the Cadí for through traffic. That makes the pass itself comparatively quiet, which is a bonus.
For a rider, the Collada de Toses offers a sequence of bends and hairpins that climb through beech and pine, then open up to alpine meadow near the top. The surface is generally good, but in spring there can be gravel and potholes after the winter frost. In the cold months, ice and snow are real concerns, and the pass may need chains or be closed briefly after heavy snowfall. Check conditions before you go.
Ripoll, on the south side, is the main town for supplies, and Puigcerdà, about fourteen kilometres on the other side, is larger and has everything. A small bar or restaurant near the top sometimes serves coffee, but hours vary, so do not count on it.
The air is thin and clean, and in summer the meadows are full of wildflowers and cattle. Late afternoon light on the peaks is wonderful, and the view over the Cerdanya is worth a stop at any time of year. Pull over, let the engine cool and listen to the cowbells.