17.7
PDI
6.5 mi
DISTANCE
2,662 ft
GAINED
7.6 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
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 climb covers 10.4 km (6.5 mi) and gains 811 m (2662 ft) at a 7.6% average. The steepest kilometer averages 12.3%, the steepest 2 km 10.7%, the steepest 5 km 9.4% and the steepest 10 km 7.7%.
It's front- and back-loaded. The first 3 km (1.9 mi) out of Mendive average about 10%, with the second kilometer at 11.4%. Kilometers 4 and 5 ease to 7-8%, and km 6 kicks back up to nearly 11%. Then comes the only real break: from around km 6.5 to km 8.5 the road runs flat or slightly downhill along the slope. The finale is the toughest stretch of the climb, with the last 1.3 km (0.8 mi) at about 11.5% onto the ridge at Croix Pelou.
Roadway: The road is paved to the top, but it's a narrow Basque mountain road, and riders describe the surface as worn and broken in places, especially toward the end of the climb. Livestock graze freely on the upper slopes, so expect animals - and their droppings - on the asphalt. Road access to Ahusquy is generally possible from mid-May to mid-November, weather permitting; check the Pyrénées-Atlantiques road information at inforoute.le64.fr before you go.
Traffic: Light. This is a farm and pasture road, but the Auberge d'Ahusquy draws visitors by car in season, and riders have reported cars passing close on the narrow sections, so ride defensively on summer weekends.
Parking: Mendive is a village of about 160 people with no dedicated lot. Our Col de Burdincurutcheta page covers the Saint-Jean-le-Vieux option (park by the fronton and ride about 10 km (6.2 mi) of flat valley road in); to start at the foot of the climb instead, park considerately in Mendive without blocking farm access. Our Col de Landerre climb starts from the same spot, so one parking place covers two climbs. At the top, the Auberge d'Ahusquy, a little over 2 km (1.2 mi) east of the finish, has parking for its guests and makes an easy pickup point.
Gear: Gear for the ramps, not the average: with about 3 km (1.9 mi) at 10% from the start and a final kick at 11-12%, a compact crankset with a 30- to 34-tooth cog is the sensible choice. The upper ridge is open and exposed, so carry a windproof layer for the descent.
Provisions: There's no food or water on the climb itself, so stock up before Mendive - Saint-Jean-le-Vieux has shops. The Auberge d'Ahusquy is the refuel stop at the top, serving traditional Basque cooking built on local lamb (its signature is aubergine fritters) from spring to mid-November; call ahead to confirm hours (+33 5 59 28 57 27).
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.
Ahusquy sits in the Arbailles, a limestone karst massif of sinkholes and dry valleys where water vanishes underground and is almost absent on the heights - which is exactly what made the Ahusquy fountain, at about 1110 m (3642 ft), so prized. Its reputation for curing urinary ailments supported three cure hotels in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, all reached by mule. The spring is a short walk from the inn, and the site is open daily from mid-May to mid-November.
For a longer leg-stretch, a yellow-marked trail of 10.5 km (6.5 mi) with about 540 m (1772 ft) of climbing (around five and a half hours) loops through the surrounding forest and past shepherds' cayolars such as Lexarregibela and Istaurdi, still used for summer grazing. The forest has an industrial past too: from the 18th century, charcoal burning here employed more than 50 workers and around fifteen mules. For Mendive's 12th-century church, its dolmens and the Iraty forest beyond, see our Col de Burdincurutcheta page.
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