25.3
PDI
6.8 mi
DISTANCE
3,297 ft
GAINED
9.2 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
Page Contributor(s): Haritz Lizarazu, San Sebastian, Spain
INTRO
Col d'Errozate is a remote, relentless climb in the French Basque Pyrenees, starting from the small village of Estérençuby in the Nive valley. From the village the road climbs 10.9 km (6.8 mi) and gains 1,004.9 m (3,297 ft) at a 9.2% average grade, topping out around 1,268 m (4,160 ft) near the pass.
There's barely a flat pedal stroke on the entire route. The road ramps up almost immediately out of the village and rarely eases below 9-10% for the first six kilometers, with pitches into the mid-teens and a brutally steep stretch near Col d'Arthaburu that regularly touches 16-17%. Above the tree line the landscape opens into classic high Basque pasture - sheep, cattle, and semi-wild pottok ponies graze right up to the road's edge - with sweeping views over the Iraty forest and, on a clear day, into Spain.
This is one of the least-known hard climbs in the western Pyrenees - there are no cafes, shops, or services anywhere on the route, and traffic is close to nonexistent outside of the occasional farm vehicle or fellow cyclist. Near the top the route leaves the paved D301 for a rougher, narrower forest lane, so riders should expect a mix of surfaces rather than smooth tarmac all the way to the summit.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. The 9.2% average grade only tells part of the story - Errozate's real character is in how unevenly that grade is distributed. The steepest kilometer averages 13.2%, the steepest mile 13.1%, and the single steepest 100 yards spikes to 17.0%, almost all of it concentrated in the run up to Col d'Arthaburu in the first half of the climb.
After that high point the grade relents slightly, but there's very little genuine recovery anywhere on the route - even the "easier" stretches still average in the high single digits. With no long flat or descending section to bank time on, pacing the opening ramps out of Estérençuby is the single biggest factor in how the rest of the climb feels.
Roadway: The route follows the D301 and is paved for roughly the first 9 km, though multiple rider reports describe the pavement as rough or abrasive in patches, typical of a minor Basque mountain road. Near the pass the route leaves the paved D301 for a narrower, looser forest lane, so expect a mix of surfaces rather than smooth tarmac all the way to the top.
Traffic: Traffic is minimal - this is a dead-end valley road serving a handful of farms and the Iraty forest, not a through route, so livestock is a bigger factor than vehicles. Watch for sheep, cattle, and semi-wild pottok ponies grazing right up to the roadway, especially on the upper slopes.
Parking: Estérençuby is a tiny village with no formal cycling-specific lot - the simplest option is roadside parking near the mairie and church at the base of the climb, along the D301. Space is generally easy to find outside of peak summer weekends.
Stock up in Estérençuby or Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port before heading out - there is nowhere to buy food or water anywhere on the climb itself. Bring more water than you think you'll need, especially in summer, when the lower kilometers get direct sun with little shade.
A compact or triple crankset with a genuinely easy low gear is close to essential here - sustained double-digit grades with ramps past 16% make this one of the tougher gear-ratio demands in the Basque Pyrenees. Standard 25-28mm road tires handle most of the climb fine, but the rougher, looser surface near the top rewards a bit of extra width or at least a cautious line if you're on narrow rubber.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Estérençuby itself is a small Basque village of around 350 residents, just 7 km up the Nive valley from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, which has the area's largest concentration of shops, restaurants, and lodging (our page for Col d'Elhursaro, which climbs out of nearby Arnéguy, has more on that town). In the village, the Logis Hôtel Andreinia offers rooms, cabanes, and a pool right along the climb's lower slopes, and there are a handful of gîtes and a campground scattered through the valley for riders who'd rather stay close to the base.
Because the summit sits at the edge of the vast Iraty forest, Errozate pairs naturally with a bigger day out - continue past the top toward the Iraty plateau, or loop back down through Burdincurutcheta and Mendive for a longer ride through some of the quietest roads in the Basque Pyrenees. See our Routes in the Area tool for other nearby climbs worth combining into the same trip.
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