Alto de la Mina

Overview

Alto de la Mina is a 12.9 km category 2 climb that lifts you from 943 m at its base to 1532 m at the summit, a net gain of 589 m. On paper the 4.55% average gradient reads gentle, and for stretches it genuinely is. But averages lie on climbs like this. The total ascent of 669 m against a net gain of 589 m tells you the road is not a clean, monotonic drag upward — there is undulation baked in, small dips and false flats that hand back a little of the height you fought for. Add a max gradient of 19%, and you have a climb that punishes anyone who treats the low average as a promise.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The gap between net gain and total ascent is the story here. Losing roughly 80 m of the climbing you do — the difference between 669 m and 589 m — means the ascent is broken by rollers and recovery sections rather than being one steady wall. That is good news and bad news. The good news is you get pockets to breathe. The bad news is that a 4.55% average smeared across 12.9 km hides a 19% pitch, and a ramp that steep does not arrive gently. Expect long, moderate sections where you settle into a rhythm, then sharp kicks that spike well above the average before the road relents again. The climb rewards riders who can absorb gradient changes without panicking.

Pacing Notes

Ride to effort, not to the gradient sign. On a climb this uneven, the number to anchor to is your FTP — hold a sustainable percentage of it through the moderate sections and let the 19% ramp push you briefly over threshold rather than trying to hold a fixed speed. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go. Over 12.9 km and 589 m of net gain, going out too hard on the shallow lower slopes is the classic mistake — you will pay for it when the gradient bites. Keep something in reserve for the steep pitches and use the roller sections to actively recover, not just to coast.

Gearing

The 4.55% average is not what dictates your cassette here — the 19% max is. For most riders a compact chainring paired with a wide cassette is the right call. A 34×32 will get many climbers up the shallower majority of the 12.9 km comfortably, but when the gradient spikes toward 19% you will be grinding. If your legs or your fitness leave any doubt, size up to a 34×34 for the extra safety margin on the steepest ramp. Spinning a lower gear on the 19% sections preserves the freshness you need to keep tempo across the rollers to 1532 m.

Summary

Alto de la Mina is a deceptive category 2: an easy-looking 4.55% average wrapped around a 19% sting, with rolling terrain that makes you climb 669 m to net just 589 m. Pace it by effort, gear for the max, and respect the ramps.

Length: 12.9 km
Average gradient: 4.55%
Max gradient: 19%
Start: 943 m
Summit: 1532 m
Net gain: 589 m
Total ascent: 669 m
Category: 2