Alto de las lagunas

Overview

Alto de las lagunas is the kind of climb that hurts more than its length suggests. At just 1.9 km, it is over quickly on paper — but with an average gradient of 9.5% and pitches touching 11.26%, there is nowhere to hide. The road lifts you from 205 m at the base to 388 m at the summit, a net gain of 183 m, with 151 m of total ascent logged along the way. It carries a category 3 rating, which undersells how relentless the middle feels when your legs are already loaded.

This is a pure gradient climb: no false flats to recover on, no rolling descents to break the rhythm. You commit at the bottom and you keep grinding until the summit.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is consistency. A 9.5% average across 1.9 km means the climb rarely dips into "easy" territory — most of the road sits close to double digits. The maximum of 11.26% is not a freak spike so much as the natural ceiling of a slope that hovers stubbornly around its mean.

Because the net gain (183 m) exceeds the total ascent figure (151 m), you can expect the elevation profile to read as a near-uninterrupted upward line rather than a stepped one. That means no soft-pedaling sections to shake out the legs. Plan to hold a steady, sustainable effort from the first ramp, because the gradient will not hand you free recovery.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, the temptation is to attack from the base. Resist it. The smart approach is to settle just under your threshold and let the 1.9 km tick away at a controlled burn.

Anchor your effort to your FTP: aim to ride the lower slopes a touch below it, then release whatever is left in the final quarter as the summit at 388 m comes into view. If you do not know your number, run it through the FTP estimator before you plan your pacing — guessing on a 9.5% average is how riders blow up halfway.

With only 183 m of vertical to clear, the whole effort lands in the punchy 6–10 minute range for most riders, so treat it like a long, hard interval rather than a steady tempo grind.

Gearing

Do not undergear this one. A 9.5% average with 11.26% pitches will expose a road-standard setup fast, especially on tired legs. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline.

A 34×32 is the minimum many strong climbers will want here — enough to keep cadence out of the grinding zone on the steepest ramps. If you spin naturally, prefer to protect your knees, or expect to hit this fresh off other climbing, size up to a 34×34 so you can stay seated and rhythmic all the way to 388 m. The extra sprockets cost you nothing on a climb with no flat sections to power over.

Summary

Alto de las lagunas is a compact, honest wall: short in distance, heavy in gradient, and unforgiving from bottom to top. Pace it just under threshold, gear it generously, and it rewards a controlled effort over a heroic one.

Length: 1.9 km
Average gradient: 9.5%
Max gradient: 11.26%
Start: 205 m
Summit: 388 m
Net gain: 183 m
Total ascent: 151 m
Category: 3