| Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin | |
| Elevation M: | 1766 |
| Traversed: | D132/NA1370 |
| Map: | France |
| Label: | Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin |
| Coords: | 42.9703°N -0.7658°W |
| Location: | Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France Navarra, Spain |
| Range: | Pyrenees |
Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin (elevation 1766m (5,794feet)) is a mountain pass on the France–Spain border in the western Pyrenees in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France) and Navarra (Spain). The climb from the Spanish side was used in the 2007 Tour de France.
Close to the summit of the pass, there is the ski station of Arette-Pierre-Saint-Martin.
In 2015, on Bastille Day, the tenth leg of the Tour climbed the Col in the other direction, from Arette up to the village of Pierre Saint Martin, which hosted the end of a stage for the first time ever.[1]
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.
The southern side of the climb, starting from Isaba (Navarra, Spain) is 27km (17miles) long at an average gradient of 3.6% (height gain – 966m (3,169feet)). The final stages of the climb start at Larra Belagua (1026m.) with 14km (09miles) at 5.2%, with a maximum of 7.4%.
The pass is situated south east of Oloron-Sainte-Marie. Starting from Arette (north east), the climb is 23.5km (14.6miles) long gaining 1301m (4,268feet) (an average gradient of 5.5%). En route, the climb passes over the Col de Labays (1351m (4,432feet)), the Pas de Guilhers (1436m (4,711feet)) and the Col du Soudet (1540m (5,050feet)).[2]
The climb from the south featured in 2007 in the Tour de France for the first time on the 218.5km (135.8miles) stage 16 from Orthez to Gourette–Col d'Aubisque. In 2015, the climb, coming from the north was featured as a stage finish for the first time on the 167km (104miles) stage 10 from Tarbes.[3]