Envalira Pass
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Port d'Envalira (el. 2408 m.) is a
mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...
in the
Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
in
Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...
, that connects
El Pas de la Casa El Pas de la Casa (; ) is a skiing, ski resort (part of the Grandvalira resort), town, and mountain pass in the Encamp Parishes of Andorra, parish of Andorra, lying on the border with France. Overview Its name literally translates as "the pass of ...
with the rest of the country. It is the highest paved road in the Pyrenees. The climb has been featured several times at the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
and
Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
cycling races. The construction of a
toll tunnel A toll tunnel is a road tunnel where a monetary charge (or ''Fee, toll'') is required to pass through. This is done by a gate before entering the tunnel or online. List of toll tunnels United States Tolls removed * Hampton Roads Bridge–Tu ...
to avoid the mountain pass started in 1999 and opened to traffic in 2002. The tunnel is located at an altitude of about 2000 metres and is nearly 3 kilometres long.Tunnel d'envalira - Le Tunnel - Informations sur la sociéte


History

Port d'Envalira has played an important role in the development of winter sports in Andorra. In the early 1930s, it became one of the first skiing areas in the country and is considered by some historians as potentially "the first skiable domain of Andorra". On 3 December 1933, the "xalet refugi d'Envalira" (Envalira refuge chalet) was inaugurated at the foot of Port d'Envalira. This chalet was established by Àlvar Menéndez, who repurposed a workers' cabin that had been built for those constructing the Port d'Envalira road. The refuge quickly became a central hub for skiing activities and winter tourism in Andorra. The Port d'Envalira area served as a nucleus for organizing skiing trips and excursions to nearby peaks, valleys, and lakes, including the , Pic d'Ensagents, and Pic del Maià. The first international ski race within Andorran borders was held here on 10 December 1933, and the area later hosted the first Easter Championship in 1936, which attracted international skiers from neighbouring countries and as far as Italy and Germany. In the 1934–1935 winter season, the first mechanized
ski lift A ski lift is a mechanism for transporting skiers up a hill. Ski lifts are typically a Lift ticket, paid service at ski resorts. The first ski lift was built in 1908 by German Robert Winterhalder in Schollach/Eisenbach, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, ...
in Andorra's history was established in the area—a service described as "autoxinilla" that carried skiers and hikers from
Soldeu Soldeu () is a village and ski resort in Andorra in the Pyrenees mountains, located in the parish of Canillo. Overview It comes alive in the winter months as a ski town, and is part of the Grand Valira ski resort, the largest in the Pyrenee ...
and surroundings up to the refuge
chalet A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-su ...
. An important development for access to the area came on 7 December 1957, when Andreu Claret was given the concession to keep the Port d'Envalira road open during winter. This innovation significantly improved accessibility to the ski areas during the winter months and contributed to the growth of winter tourism in the region. The history of Port d'Envalira as a skiing destination predates many of the larger commercial ski domains that would later develop in Andorra, making it an important pioneer in the country's winter sports history.


See also

*
List of highest paved roads in Europe This is a list of the highest paved roads in Europe. It includes roads that are at least long and whose culminating point is at least above sea level. This height approximately corresponds to that of the highest settlements in Europe and to th ...
*
Souvenir Henri Desgrange The Souvenir Henri Desgrange is an award and cash prize given in the yearly running of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. It is won by the rider that crosses a particular point in the race, mostly the summits of the highest ...


External links


Port d'Envalira profile from Andorra la Vella - climbbybike.comPort d'Envalira profile from Ax les Thermes - climbbybike.comPort d'Envalira profile from Latour Carol - climbbybike.comPort d'Envalira on Google Maps (Tour de France classic climbs)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Envalira Mountain passes of Andorra Mountain passes of the Pyrenees