Alto de la Planchada

Overview

Alto de la Planchada is a long, patient climb rather than a wall. Over 19.7 km it averages a moderate 4.39%, lifting you from a valley floor at 593 m to a 1458 m summit. That works out to 865 m of net elevation gain, with 849 m of total ascent — the two figures sitting close together, which tells you the road climbs steadily and rarely gives anything back. It is graded category 2: substantial, but a rung below the true monsters. The defining challenge here is not any single ramp but the sheer duration. Nearly twenty kilometres of continuous uphill demands discipline more than raw power.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 4.39% average across 19.7 km hides a mix of terrain. Because net gain (865 m) and total ascent (849 m) almost match, there are effectively no descents to interrupt the rhythm — the gradient stays positive the whole way. The headline number to respect is the 11.54% maximum. That is more than two and a half times the average, so somewhere on this climb there are genuinely steep pitches that will spike your heart rate well above your steady-state effort. Expect the profile to alternate between long, shallow drags a fair bit below 4.39% and short, sharper kickers reaching toward that 11.54% peak. The art is not letting the easy stretches lull you into overspending before the ramps arrive.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing is everything. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to sit just under it for the shallower sections, holding a repeatable, conversational-but-committed tempo. Save your matches for the pitches climbing toward 11.54%, where you can afford brief surges above threshold knowing an easier gradient usually follows. The 865 m of climbing means a rider who paces evenly will almost always beat one who attacks early and fades. If you are unsure what number to target, run your figures through the FTP estimator first, then ride to that ceiling rather than to how your legs feel in the opening kilometres — legs always feel strong at 593 m.

Gearing

The 4.39% average is manageable on almost any setup, but the 11.54% ramps combined with nearly 20 km of accumulated fatigue change the calculation. By the time you hit the steepest sections, tired legs make every extra sprocket count. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible choice. A 34×32 will get most fit riders over the top with enough cadence to stay smooth, but if you tend to grind or you are riding this at the end of a long day, a 34×34 gives you the extra margin to keep spinning through the 11.54% pitches instead of lurching over them. Err toward the easier gear — you cannot use a bailout ratio you did not bring.

Summary

Alto de la Planchada rewards the even-tempered climber: a 19.7 km category 2 ascent that trades brutality for endurance, punctuated by ramps to 11.54% that punish anyone who spent too early. Pace to your threshold, gear generously, and let the 865 m come to you.

Length: 19.7 km
Average gradient: 4.39%
Max gradient: 11.54%
Start: 593 m
Summit: 1458 m
Net gain: 865 m
Total ascent: 849 m
Category: 2