Alto de la Culebra o de Cinco Lindes

Overview

The Alto de la Culebra o de Cinco Lindes is a compact climb that rewards a controlled, honest effort. Over 3.1 km it lifts you from a start elevation of 234 m to a summit at 390 m, a net gain of 156 m. The listed total ascent of 141 m tells you the road is almost entirely uphill, with only the slightest breaks where the gradient eases rather than reverses. Rated category 4, it sits at the gentler end of the classification scale, but a 5% average across three kilometres still asks for genuine, sustained work rather than a casual spin.

How the Gradient Unfolds

This is a climb defined by consistency. The 5% average and the 6.03% maximum sit remarkably close together, which tells you almost everything about its shape: there are no cruel ramps or lung-emptying walls waiting around a bend. Instead, the road settles into a rhythm early and holds it. The steepest pitch, at 6.03%, is barely a stride above the average, so the hardest moment never feels like a step-change in difficulty. Expect long, readable sections where the gradient hovers right around the mean, the sort of terrain where you can find a cadence and simply hold it from bottom to top. With 156 m of net gain packed into 3.1 km, the effort is dense but never spiky.

Pacing Notes

Because the gradient is so even, this climb is a near-perfect candidate for pacing by power. Aim to sit just below or right at your threshold and let the steadiness of the road do the rest — there are no surges to punish an over-eager start and no false flats to hide behind. Riders who know their FTP can treat the whole 3.1 km as a single sustained interval and target a percentage of it based on how fresh they are. If you have not measured your threshold recently, the FTP estimator will give you a working number to anchor your effort. Start a touch conservatively over the first stretch; with only 156 m to gain, going too deep too early leaves little room to recover before the 390 m summit.

Gearing

At a 5% average topping out near 6.03%, most riders will be comfortable on standard road gearing here. A compact chainring paired with a 34×32 low gear gives you ample margin to spin the steepest 6.03% pitch without grinding. If you prefer to keep cadence high, carry extra weight, or plan to tackle this climb late in a long day, a 34×34 offers a welcome cushion and lets you sit and turn the pedals rather than muscle them. Neither gradient nor length demands anything more aggressive, so the choice between 34×32 and 34×34 comes down to your legs and your preferred cadence rather than necessity.

Summary

The Alto de la Culebra o de Cinco Lindes is a short, steady, and honest category 4 climb — the kind of ascent that rewards a smooth tempo over heroics. With its even gradient and modest length, it makes an excellent pacing benchmark and a satisfying rung on any day's climbing.

Length: 3.1 km
Average gradient: 5%
Max gradient: 6.03%
Start: 234 m
Summit: 390 m
Net gain: 156 m
Total ascent: 141 m
Category: 4