Alto de la Posadía

Overview

The Alto de la Posadía is a category 1 ascent that stretches for 11.7 km and asks for real, sustained effort. It begins at 175 m and tops out at 891 m, a net gain of 716 m over its length. That works out to an average gradient of 6.11%, the kind of number that hides plenty of variety underneath it — steady enough to settle into, steep enough in places to hurt.

At 11.7 km it sits firmly in the range where pacing matters more than raw power. This is not a short, brutal wall you can muscle over; it is a long, honest climb where the rider who meters their effort arrives at the top fresher than the one who attacks the early ramps.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline average of 6.11% is a useful anchor, but the climb does not deliver that number uniformly. With a maximum gradient of 11.1%, there are sections that nearly double the average, and those pitches are where the day is won or lost.

There is a subtle detail worth noting: the summit sits 716 m above the start, yet the total ascent recorded is 699 m. That small difference tells you the road is not relentlessly upward — there are brief flatter or gently descending moments folded into the 11.7 km. These are the spots to recover, spin, and take on food before the gradient tips back toward that 11.1% ceiling. Read the road: when it eases, use it, because the steep ramps will demand what you save.

Pacing Notes

Treat the Alto de la Posadía as a threshold effort. Your target power on a climb of this length should sit around your FTP — high enough to make good time, low enough to survive all 716 m of climbing without blowing up on the steeper 11.1% pitches.

If you are not sure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan the climb. On the shallower stretches, let your effort drift slightly below threshold and recover; on the ramps toward 11.1%, allow it to rise, but keep it controlled. Averaging 6.11% for 11.7 km, consistency beats heroics every time.

Gearing

For a climb averaging 6.11% with maximum pitches at 11.1%, gear conservatively. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the steady sections of the 716 m gain comfortably, but the moments touching 11.1% are where a bailout gear earns its keep.

If your legs or your loaded weight give you any doubt, fit a 34×34. That extra sprocket keeps your cadence up on the steepest ramps and protects your knees across the full 11.7 km. There is no prize for grinding — spin the climb, don't fight it.

Summary

The Alto de la Posadía is a rewarding category 1 climb: long enough to test your pacing, steep enough in places to test your gearing, and honest throughout. Pace it near threshold, respect the 11.1% pitches, and let the flatter breaks in the 699 m of ascent do their work.

Length: 11.7 km
Average gradient: 6.11%
Max gradient: 11.1%
Start: 175 m
Summit: 891 m
Net gain: 716 m
Total ascent: 699 m
Category: 1