Alto de La Triguera

Overview

Alto de La Triguera is an HC (hors catégorie) climb that packs an enormous amount of vertical into a short distance. Over just 6.4 km the road lifts you from 889 m at the base to a 1693 m summit, a net gain of 804 m. That works out to an average gradient of 12.54%, a figure that would be a steep pitch on most climbs but here is sustained kilometer after kilometer. HC is the hardest classification in cycling, sitting above categories 1, 2, 3, and 4, and La Triguera earns it not through length but through relentless, punishing steepness.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number is the 12.54% average. On a climb this short, an average that high means there is almost nowhere to recover. The gradient rarely dips into single digits, and where it bites hardest it spikes to a savage 28.52% — a wall steep enough to threaten traction and force you out of the saddle just to keep the wheels turning. Expect the profile to feel front-loaded and unforgiving: the road hauls you upward from the very first meters, and the max of 28.52% lurks as the crux where cadence collapses and raw torque decides whether you keep moving. With 804 m of elevation to swallow over 6.4 km, every kilometer averages well over 100 m of climbing.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, pacing is really about damage control. Your FTP sets the ceiling, but the 28.52% ramps will repeatedly force you above it whether you like it or not, so the goal is to spend as little time over threshold as possible on the easier pitches and save that anaerobic capacity for the walls. Don't blow the base — the 12.54% average guarantees the whole climb will hurt, and starting too hot on a 6.4 km effort this severe leaves nothing for the steepest sections. If you're not sure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. Ride it as a steady, contained effort punctuated by short, controlled surges over the ramps, and let the gradient — not your ego — dictate the tempo.

Gearing

Gear this one generously. A 12.54% average with pitches to 28.52% will overwhelm anything close to a standard road setup, so a compact chainring is the starting point, not a luxury. A 34×32 is the minimum sensible bottom gear here, and honestly a 34×34 is the smarter call for most riders — the extra range buys you a survivable cadence on the 28.52% sections instead of grinding to a near-standstill. If your frame and derailleur can accommodate a larger cassette or a sub-compact crank, take it. On a wall this steep, an easier gear you don't fully use beats a hard gear that forces you off the bike.

Summary

Alto de La Triguera is a short, savage HC climb defined by its gradient rather than its distance — 6.4 km of near-constant steepness capped by a 28.52% wall. Gear low, pace the base conservatively, and respect the 804 m of climbing packed into so little road.

Length: 6.4 km
Average gradient: 12.54%
Max gradient: 28.52%
Start: 889 m
Summit: 1693 m
Net gain: 804 m
Total ascent: 776 m
Category: HC