Alto de las Pintas

Overview

Alto de las Pintas is short on paper and brutal in the legs. Over just 2.7 km it averages 15.35%, a figure that leaves almost no margin for recovery anywhere on the road. The climb starts at 1063 m and tops out at 1472 m, a summit altitude high enough that the thinner air adds its own tax on top of the gradient. With a net elevation gain of 409 m and a Category 1 rating, this is a wall dressed up as a short climb — the kind of effort that is over quickly only in the sense that you cannot sustain it for long.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is the average: 15.35% sustained across the full 2.7 km. That is not a climb with a token steep pitch and easy run-in; it is relentlessly abrupt from bottom to top. The maximum of 22.32% tells you where the true crux lies — ramps roughly 7 points steeper than an already merciless average, sections where the road tilts toward the vertical and momentum evaporates. Because the average sits so close to the max, there are no genuine flat recoveries to lean on. The total ascent of 358 m against a net gain of 409 m confirms the profile climbs almost continuously, with no meaningful descending to reset your rhythm before the next ramp.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep, pacing is really damage control. Your FTP sets the ceiling, but on 15.35% grades most riders drift well above threshold simply to keep the pedals turning against gravity and their own weight. The smart play is to bleed as little as possible early, hold a cadence you can actually sustain, and treat the 22.32% ramps as the moments to spend — not to blow up on. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first, then plan to ride the lower gradients slightly under it so you have something left when the road rears up. Standing will be unavoidable on the steepest pitches; the goal is to alternate seated and standing efforts rather than grinding out the whole 2.7 km one way.

Gearing

Gear for the max, not the average. On a climb that touches 22.32% and averages 15.35%, most riders will want the easiest ratio they can bolt on. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 is a sensible minimum, but on Pintas the 34×34 is the smarter choice for all but the strongest climbers — that extra sprocket buys precious cadence on the 22.32% ramps and keeps your knees and back out of the red. If your bike accepts an even wider cassette, take it. There is no prize for over-gearing a climb this steep.

Summary

Alto de las Pintas is a genuine test of climbing legs and gearing sense — 2.7 km that feel far longer, capped by a 1472 m summit and a gradient that never relents. Come prepared with low gears and a patient plan.

Length: 2.7 km
Average gradient: 15.35%
Max gradient: 22.32%
Start: 1063 m
Summit: 1472 m
Net gain: 409 m
Total ascent: 358 m
Category: 1