Alto de Cruz Verde

Overview

Alto de Cruz Verde is an HC monster — hors catégorie, the hardest rating on the scale before you drop down to categories 1 through 4. The numbers alone tell you why: 27.7 km of continuous climbing at a 5.73% average gradient, launching from 1764 m and cresting at 3353 m. That is a net elevation gain of 1589 m, with 1590 m of total ascent packed into the ride. The near-identical net and total figures mean this is an honest climb — almost no false flats or descents to break the rhythm, just up, and up, and up.

At these altitudes the thin air compounds every percentage point. You are climbing well above 3000 m by the summit, where oxygen is scarce and power output sags for even the fittest riders. This is an endurance test as much as a climbing one.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 5.73% average is deceptively gentle-sounding for a climb this long. Spread across 27.7 km, that average hides a max gradient of 11.6% — roughly double the mean. Expect the road to pulse between easier stretches near or below the average and sharp pitches that spike toward that 11.6% wall. On a climb rising 1589 m, the steep sections arrive without warning and demand you shift down before momentum bleeds away.

Because total ascent (1590 m) barely exceeds net gain (1589 m), there is nowhere to soft-pedal and recover on a downhill. Every metre you gain, you keep. Treat the whole 27.7 km as one sustained effort rather than a series of separate ramps.

Pacing Notes

Over 27.7 km, discipline beats bravado. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to hold a sustainable percentage of it for the full climb rather than surging on the steep ramps. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you tackle a climb of this length — going out too hard on the lower slopes will cost you dearly above 3000 m.

Ration your matches for the pitches near 11.6%, and let the gradient drop back toward 5.73% become your recovery. At altitude, keep the effort steady and the breathing controlled; the summit at 3353 m punishes anyone who redlines early.

Gearing

For 27.7 km averaging 5.73% with ramps to 11.6% — at altitude, where your legs will feel heavier than the gradient suggests — gear low and gear generously. A compact 34-tooth chainring is the sensible front. Pair it with at least a 34×32 for the sustained middle sections, and if your climbing legs or your fitness are anything short of pro-level, go straight to a 34×34. That extra sprocket keeps your cadence up on the 11.6% pitches without wrecking your knees over nearly 28 km of climbing. On a climb this long, a bailout gear is not a luxury.

Summary

Alto de Cruz Verde is a true HC test: long, high, and unrelenting. With 27.7 km at 5.73% and pitches to 11.6%, it rewards patient pacing and low gearing over raw power. Bring your climbing legs and respect the altitude.

Length: 27.7 km
Average gradient: 5.73%
Max gradient: 11.6%
Start: 1764 m
Summit: 3353 m
Net gain: 1589 m
Total ascent: 1590 m
Category: HC