Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin (elevation ) is a mountain pass on the

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

border in the western

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

in the department of

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atlant ...

(France) and

Navarra Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

(Spain). The climb from the Spanish side was used in the

2007 Tour de France The 2007 Tour de France the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 to 29 July. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain. It was ...

. Close to the summit of the pass, there is the ski station of Arette-Pierre-Saint-Martin. In 2015, on

Bastille Day Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. In French, it is formally called the (; "French National Celebration"); legally it is known as (; "t ...

, the tenth leg of the Tour climbed the Col in the other direction, from

Arette Arette (; oc, Areta) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. It is located in the arrondissement of Oloron-Sainte-Marie and the canton of Oloron-Sainte-Marie-1. Geogr ...

up to the village of Pierre Saint Martin, which hosted the end of a stage for the first time ever. Every year on 13 July since 1375, the ceremony of the Tribute of the Three Cows takes place on the summit of the mountain pass.

Details of the climb

The southern side of the climb, starting from

Isaba Isaba ( eu, Izaba) is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. Is the main town of the Roncal valley and is sited in the Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, ...

(Navarra, Spain) is long at an average gradient of 3.6% (height gain – ). The final stages of the climb start at Larra Belagua (1026m.) with at 5.2%, with a maximum of 7.4%. The pass is situated south east of

Oloron-Sainte-Marie Oloron-Sainte-Marie (; oc, Auloron e Senta Maria; eu, Oloroe-Donamaria) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Aquitaine), southwestern France. History The town was founded by the ...

. Starting from

(north east), the climb is long gaining (an average gradient of 5.5%). En route, the climb passes over the Col de Labays (), the Pas de Guilhers () and the Col du Soudet ().

Tour de France

The climb from the south featured in 2007 in the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

for the first time on the stage 16 from

Orthez Orthez (; eu, Ortheze; oc, Ortès, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of New Aquitaine, southwestern France. It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the sm ...

Gourette Gourette () is a winter sports resort in the French Pyrenees. It is located in the commune of Eaux-Bonnes in the ''département'' of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, on the D 918 road which passes through the Col d'Aubisque mountain pass. The closest ...

–

Col d'Aubisque The Col d'Aubisque ( oc, Còth d'Aubisca) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees south of Tarbes and Pau in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Aquitaine region of France.Chany, Pierre (1988), La Fabuleuse Histoire du T ...

. In 2015, the climb, coming from the north was featured as a stage finish for the first time on the stage 10 from

Tarbes Tarbes (; Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France. It is the capital of Bigorre and of the Hautes-Pyrénées. It has been a commune since 1790. It was known as ''Turba ...

Tour de France stage finishes

Passages in the Tour de France

References

External links

Detailed summary of climb
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierre Saint-Martin Mountain passes of Nouvelle-Aquitaine Mountain passes of the Pyrenees Mountain passes of Spain France–Spain border crossings