Less than 30 minutes by car from the Ariège évasion , passing through the village of Cabannes, you arrive at the Beille plateau.
A Tour in Ariège! The Tour de France in Ariège .
The Beille plateau is a Pyrenean mountain massif located in the Ariège department. It is located in the south of the Ariège valley between Tarascon-sur-Ariège and Ax -les-Thermes, less than 10km as the crow flies from the ARIEGE EVASION campsite. The mythical Plateau de Beille is located above the villages of Cabannes, Albiès and Lassur. Road access to the plateau (D 522) starts from Les Cabannes.
It is the largest Nordic ski area in the Pyrenees.
The cross-country ski trails are laid between 1,800 and 2,000 m above sea level, facing the Andorran border ridge. For a long time, the plateau was only a place for breeding, especially Gascon cattle. The Beille plateau is crossed by the GR10, a long-distance hiking trail which connects the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
Since 1998, the ascent from Les Cabannes to the plateau has regularly constituted the final ascent of a stage of the Tour de France.
The Ullrich, Pantani, Jalabert, Contador, Rasmunsen, Froome, Pogačar, compete for victory. The Beille plateau also has the particularity that many winners of this difficult climb subsequently won the Tour in Paris. An arrival at the summit which starts via a zoom such as the Tour de France has made the Ariège mountains shine throughout the world!
The Ariégeoise punctually arrives in Beille.
In winter the snow falls with metronome regularity.
The oceanic influence often arrives with meters of snow and if an easterly return is created on the Mediterranean the plateau has an accumulation of more than 10m of snow over the year! Exceptional snow cover and cross-country skiing.
In summer, the plateau is the ideal terrain for family hikes offering breathtaking 360° views of the Ariège massifs.
The athlete from the Beille resort and native of the country is Laure Bosc who passionately supervises biathlon courses on the Beille plateau.
Wildlife :
Fauna of the Pyrenees present on the Beille plateau: The capercaillie and the ptarmigan
The GMO and its work on Beille.
GMO? yes, in Beille, agents from the French Biodiversity Office come to manage and study capercaillie and ptarmigan. OGM is the acronym for Observatoire des Galliformes de Montagne. Quiet zones exist and cannot be crossed. Please respect these protective spaces. Nature is fragile and we must be its guardians.
Belle by bike:
Myth Ascent Data Sheet:
Climb Profile
Departure: Les Cabannes (535 m) via Pech Arrival: 1,790 m Elevation difference: 1,255 m Length: 15.9 km Slope: 7.9% Non-Category AscentFearsome climb with 7.9% slope over 15.9km.
Before arriving at the summer pastures the first 12 kilometers climb steeply through the forest. Arriving at Cabannes doesn't warm your calves much. Past the post office, you will come up against a steep ramp! A wall ! Gudanes Castle offers a beautiful background to take your mind off things. The respite is short-lived, the bitumen becomes more granular. As the pros say, "all the way to the left", the development of your bike must allow you to maintain balance and a minimum of speed... The effort is long, intense...
The passage to the Henri IV fountain is one of the steepest : 9%!
Nothing regular to finish! A small, still too short flat area in front of the Cabanne de Pierrefite and two final hairpins with a gentler percentage and it's the arrival at 1800m! The large car park where the finish line of the Tour de France is located all year round! Yes you did it!
Useful links :
Angaka Nordic village, the sled dog base, offers dog sled rides all winter long. In summer you can go cani kart, visit the sled dog pack and many other activities.
ARIEGE EVASION our guides offer half-day or full-day hikes on the Beille plateau. These mountain professionals introduce you to the discovery of the natural environment in winter with snowshoes.
Every Sunday morning a large market with local products takes place on the Place des Cabannes.
