Alto de El Término

Overview

Alto de El Término is a genuine hors catégorie beast: 24.5 km of climbing at an average gradient of 9.65%, hauling you from a valley floor at 558 m all the way to a 2925 m summit. That is 2367 m of net elevation gain, with 2560 m of total ascent once you account for every roll and dip along the way. Numbers like these put it firmly in the top tier of paved climbs anywhere — the kind of ascent you plan a trip around rather than tack onto a casual ride.

The defining feature here is not a single savage ramp but relentless, sustained steepness stretched across the better part of 25 km. A near-double-digit average over that distance is brutally rare, and it means there is almost nowhere to recover.

How the Gradient Unfolds

At 9.65% average over 24.5 km, this climb offers no soft opening and no false-flat reprieve to hide behind. With 2560 m of total ascent against 2367 m of net gain, roughly 193 m of that vertical is "wasted" on brief descents and flatter interludes — a small fraction of the whole, which tells you the road points relentlessly upward almost the entire way.

Expect the pitch to hover around that 9.65% figure for long stretches, punctuated by ramps that push above it. Because the summit sits at 2925 m, the final kilometres also add thinning air to the equation: the same gradient simply hurts more the higher you climb. Treat the top third as harder than the numbers alone suggest.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long and steep, pacing discipline decides everything. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold something just below threshold for the opening two-thirds — the 9.65% average will punish anyone who surges early. If you do not know your current threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to this one.

Because the ascent covers 2367 m of net gain, your ride time will be long; fuel and drink on a schedule, not on feel. Bank a steady tempo, keep your cadence from collapsing, and save any real acceleration for the last few kilometres toward the 2925 m summit.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this climb. A 24.5 km ascent at 9.65% demands the widest range you can reasonably run. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette is the sensible baseline for strong climbers, but most riders will be far happier with a 34×34 setup to keep cadence alive on the sustained steep sections. If your groupset allows an even larger sprocket, take it — spinning a low gear at 2925 m of altitude beats grinding your reserves into the tarmac.

Summary

Alto de El Término is an unforgiving HC test: long, steep, high, and unrelenting. Respect the 9.65% average, gear low, pace by threshold, and let the 2367 m of climbing come to you.

Length: 24.5 km
Average gradient: 9.65%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 558 m
Summit: 2925 m
Net gain: 2367 m
Total ascent: 2560 m
Category: HC