Alto de El Escajal

Overview

Alto de El Escajal is a short, sharp Category 3 climb that packs its work into just 2.9 km. From a low start at 62 m, the road hauls you up to a summit of 289 m — a net gain of 227 m — at a demanding average gradient of 7.85%. That average alone tells you plenty: there is no easing-in ramp, no long false-flat to hide behind. This is a climb you feel from the first pedal stroke, and one that keeps asking questions right to the top.

The numbers frame it as a punchy effort rather than a slow grind. At under 3 km it will not exhaust you the way an hour-long ascent might, but the sustained steepness means it lands squarely in the zone where riders blow up if they misjudge the opening.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figure is a 7.85% average, but the climb bites harder than that in places, spiking to a maximum of 14.34%. That gap between the average and the max is where El Escajal earns its bite. A 7.85% mean gradient over 2.9 km is already firmly into "big-ring-abandoned" territory, and the ramps toward 14.34% nearly double that load.

Note too the difference between the 227 m net gain and the 194 m of total ascent recorded on the profile — a reminder that the elevation figures describe a climb whose steepness is concentrated rather than evenly spread. Expect the steepest pitches to arrive as distinct walls rather than a smooth, unbroken slope. Read the road ahead: when the gradient rears toward its 14.34% peak, that is the moment to sit, stay smooth, and protect your rhythm.

Pacing Notes

With an average of 7.85% over 2.9 km, El Escajal is short enough to ride hard but long enough to punish an over-eager start. Anchor your effort to your FTP: a threshold-based target keeps you honest through the steep middle instead of detonating on the first ramp.

A sensible plan is to hold just around threshold on the shallower sections and allow brief surges above it only where the gradient forces you toward 14.34%. Because the climb is so compact, the cost of going too deep early is severe — you simply run out of road to recover. If you are unsure of your threshold number, run the FTP estimator first and pace from a real figure rather than a guess.

Gearing

For a 2.9 km climb averaging 7.85% with pitches to 14.34%, gearing is your friend. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a wide cassette is the smart baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the steady 7.85% sections at a workable cadence, but on the 14.34% ramps you will be grinding.

If you have the range, a 34×34 buys you a little more spin on the steepest pitches and keeps your cadence out of the red. Given how concentrated the steep sections are here, err toward the easier 34×34 — the extra sprocket costs nothing on the flatter stretches and saves your legs where the road kicks up hardest.

Summary

Alto de El Escajal is a compact, honest test: short in distance, steep in character, and unforgiving of a bad pacing decision. Gear low, start controlled, and save something for the ramps.

Length: 2.9 km
Average gradient: 7.85%
Max gradient: 14.34%
Start: 62 m
Summit: 289 m
Net gain: 227 m
Total ascent: 194 m
Category: 3