Col de la Pierre St Martin
Col de la Pierre Saint- Martin, look at the last sweep before the pass
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The Col de la Pierre Saint -Martin (Spanish: La Piedra de San Martín ) is a 1760 meter high mountain pass in the central Pyrenees. It forms the transition between the French and the Spanish Barétous Roncal Valley. He joins the department of Pyrénées- Atlantiques with the Navarra region.
Route
From the north several routes leading to the Col de la Pierre Saint -Martin, all of which converge on the 1540 -meter-high Col de Soudet. The main route is formed by the D137 and takes its starting point in Arette. At a length of 25.8 km, it overcomes 1460 meters of altitude. The middle section is the steepest, on a length of 8 km 750 meters height to be overcome. The steepest kilometers has an average slope of 11%, having a short 15% ramp. From the Col de Soudet there are lies 3.5 km to the pass with just over 6% slope.
The south ramp from Spain is much flatter. To 26.5 km in length 960 meters in altitude to be overcome. 6 km before the pass is located upstream of the 1578 meter high Portillo de Eraice.
Tourism and Attractions
Winter sports
To the east of the pass is the ski resort of La Pierre Saint -Martin. The ski resort has 20 slopes on the northern slopes of the 2044 meter high Pic d' Arla, which is 1.5 km from the summit. The part of the municipality Isaba on the Spanish side of the pass station Larra - Belagua has 25 km of cross country ski trails.
Caving
This, inter alia since the end of the 19th century by Édouard Alfred Martel and Eugène Fournier researched karst mountains harbors a vast cave system. 1950 a 320 meter deep shaft was discovered, which forms the entrance to the Chasm de la Pierre Saint -Martin. 1953 was followed by the discovery of vast Salle de Verna (260 × 250 × 180 m). These will be made available to the public shortly. Since 2008, operates the Société hydroélectrique du Midi, a subsidiary of GDF Suez, an underground hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 4 MW.
La Junte Roncal
For more than 600 years of grazing cows beyond the French passport to the mountain meadows of the Roncal Valley. Each year pay the French shepherd in return their Spanish neighbors three two-year cows as tribute, according to the first mentioned in records in 1375 agreements La Junte Roncal. This is considered to be Europe's oldest still valid international treaty. At the handover ceremony, the mayor meet four of the seven Spanish communities in the Roncal valley with her six brothers from the French Official Barétous at every July 13 at the Col de la Pierre Saint -Martin. The ceremony follows a more formalized process and is now part of a folk festival.
Tour de France
The Col de la Pierre Saint -Martin was crossed in its entirety for the first time of the 2007 Tour de France. During the 16th stage, he was driven from Spain coming as an increase in the First Category. First at the summit was the Colombian Mauricio Soler, the later winner of the prize mountain.
The northern approach to the Col de Soudet was driven for the first time in 1987 and was at that time - as in 2006 - an increase of Honor category.
Pass road above the ski station
View of the top portion of the Spanish side
External links and sources
- Information about the mountain for cyclists ( climbs, route profile ); North ramp of Arette
- Profile of the route of the south ramp
- La Junte Roncal on the Town website Aramits (French)
- 16th stage of the Tour de France 2007 - The Official Website