Alto de Bolívar

Overview

Alto de Bolívar is a compact but genuinely testing category-3 ascent. Over 5.1 km it climbs at an average of 6.14%, carrying you from a start elevation of 2536 m up to a summit of 2852 m. That is a net gain of 316 m, with 283 m of total ascent logged across the effort. What sets this climb apart is not raw length but the thin air: everything happens above 2500 m, where the same power output costs you more than it would nearer sea level. It is short enough to attack, steep enough to punish anyone who does so carelessly.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figure is a 6.14% average, but averages hide the story. With a maximum pitch of 9.93%, the climb clearly stacks its difficulty into ramps that sit well above the mean. Expect the profile to alternate between sustained stretches near the 6.14% average and sharper kicks approaching 9.93%. Because the net gain of 316 m slightly exceeds the 283 m of total ascent figure, the road trends upward consistently rather than rolling — there are few, if any, real recovery descents to reset your legs. Ride it as a single rising effort with a handful of harder steps, not a series of separate walls.

Pacing Notes

At altitude, pacing discipline matters more than usual. Your sustainable ceiling here is best anchored to your FTP — the power you can hold for roughly an hour on flat, oxygen-rich roads. Above 2500 m, aerobic power drops, so target a touch below your normal threshold effort and let the steeper 9.93% ramps push you briefly over, then settle back onto the 6.14% grind. Over just 5.1 km the climb is short enough that going slightly too hard early won't end your day, but the thin air will magnify any overreach. If you don't know your threshold number, run it through the FTP estimator before you plan your target watts.

Gearing

For a 5.1 km climb averaging 6.14% with pitches to 9.93%, most riders will want a compact setup with room to spin. A 34×32 is a sensible floor and will get many riders over the steeper ramps while keeping cadence respectable. If you run lower thresholds, ride more conservatively at altitude, or simply prefer to seat-spin the 9.93% sections rather than grind them, step up to a 34×34 — the extra range costs you nothing on the flatter stretches and buys valuable comfort when the road bites. At 2852 m, protecting your cadence protects your legs.

Summary

Alto de Bolívar rewards riders who respect the altitude and the gradient's uneven distribution. It is a short, honest category-3 test: steady climbing punctuated by ramps near 9.93%, all delivered in thin mountain air. Anchor your effort to your threshold, gear for comfort, and let the 5.1 km tick by without blowing up on the steep bits.

Length: 5.1 km
Average gradient: 6.14%
Max gradient: 9.93%
Start: 2536 m
Summit: 2852 m
Net gain: 316 m
Total ascent: 283 m
Category: 3