An iconic Tour de France road to Col de Jau
France, europe
27.1 km
1,509 m
moderate
Year-round
Col de Jau is a stunning high mountain pass sitting pretty at 1,509m (4,950ft) in the Occitania region of southern France. It marks the boundary between the Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales departments, and if you're into exploring off-the-beaten-path spots, you'll want to check out the atmospheric ruins of the Cistercian abbey of Sainte-Marie de Jau nearby.
This Eastern Pyrenees gem is fully paved, making it a solid choice for any road trip. The route runs 27.1 km (16.83 miles) total, connecting Mosset in the south to Sainte Colombe sur Guette in the north. You'll drive the D84 on the northern side and the D14 on the southern side.
Now, let's talk about what you're getting into. This isn't a leisurely cruise—the road definitely tests your driving skills with grades hitting up to 9.8% in the steeper sections. From Mosset heading up, you're looking at a 13.6 km climb that gains 806 meters of elevation at an average gradient of 5.9%. Coming from the Sainte Colombe sur Guette side, the ascent stretches 13.4 km with 896 meters of elevation gain, averaging a punchier 6.7%. It's challenging but absolutely doable if you're prepared for some serious elevation gain.
Where is it?
An iconic Tour de France road to Col de Jau is located in France (europe). Coordinates: 46.4873, 1.6847
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 27.1 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,509 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- 46.4873, 1.6847
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