Alto de La Torre

Overview

Alto de La Torre is a category 1 climb that packs a genuine punch into a compact 8.7 km. From a base at 1378 m it climbs to a summit of 2035 m, a net gain of 657 m, at an average gradient of 7.56%. That average alone marks it as a serious effort, but the number that defines the climb is the 26.21% maximum pitch lurking somewhere on its slopes. This is not a climb you settle into and forget; it is one that demands respect from the first pedal stroke to the last.

With a total ascent of 624 m recorded over its length, the road only rarely offers relief. Nearly everything you gain, you keep. That consistency is what makes La Torre punishing: there is no long false-flat to recover on, no descent to spin out your legs. You simply keep grinding upward toward 2035 m.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figure is the gap between the 7.56% average and the 26.21% maximum. A climb whose steepest ramp is more than three times its average is a climb of spikes rather than a smooth, uniform wall. Expect the road to surge well into the teens and beyond on its hardest sections, then ease just enough to let you claw back some rhythm before the next kick.

Over 8.7 km, the 657 m of net elevation gain works out to that steady 7.56% mean, but the lived experience is lumpier. The pitches that reach toward 26.21% are where races are won and lost, and where riders who went out too hard pay the price. Ride the shape of the road, not the average.

Pacing Notes

The single most important decision on La Torre is your effort on the first few kilometres. At 7.56% average across 8.7 km, this is a sustained threshold effort, so anchor your pacing to your FTP and hold something in reserve for the steep ramps toward 26.21%. If you do not know your current threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target.

Aim to arrive at the steepest pitches with headroom rather than already redlined. On slopes that steep, even a small overshoot forces you into an anaerobic effort you cannot sustain to 2035 m. Ride the flatter-for-La-Torre sections a touch conservatively and spend your matches on the walls.

Gearing

For a climb averaging 7.56% with pitches to 26.21%, err generously on gearing. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained sections, but the 26.21% ramps are where it can leave you grinding at a cadence that shreds your legs.

If your body permits it, a 34×34 is the smarter choice here. That extra sprocket buys you cadence exactly where the road bites hardest, and over 8.7 km of near-continuous climbing to 2035 m, protecting your cadence protects your whole ride. Choose the easier gear and be glad of it on the steep ramps.

Summary

Alto de La Torre rewards patience and honest pacing: keep something back for the 26.21% pitches, gear generously, and let the 657 m of climbing come to you rather than chasing it early.

Length: 8.7 km
Average gradient: 7.56%
Max gradient: 26.21%
Start: 1378 m
Summit: 2035 m
Net gain: 657 m
Total ascent: 624 m
Category: 1