The climb to Luz-Ardiden reminds of that to Alpe d'Huez. Both climbs are steep with the first half being steeper than the second half and both end at a ski resort. Both have been the finish location of many Tour de France stages though the frequency is less for Luz-Ardiden than for Alpe d'Huez (8 against 18 during 1985-2011). Also, in other aspects Luz-Ardiden is less than its counterpart in the Alps. There are far fewer cyclists and cars and Luz-Ardiden has fewer elevation meters, though only 86. As mentioned, the steepest part of the ascent (8-11%) lies in the first half. It starts just before the village of Sazos and includes the stretch with 8 hairpin bends before and after the village of Grust. In the upper part the forests give way to a more open landscape. Note that with less than 2 kilometers to go, one has to turn sharply to the left in the direction of Aulian. I have no idea about the panoramas and the ski lifts that must be visible during the final part. A dense fog inhibited to see anything but the nearest 20 meters.