Alto de Las Rojas

Overview

Alto de Las Rojas is a Category 1 climb that packs 591 m of net elevation gain into 8.5 km of road. Starting at 194 m and topping out at 785 m, it holds an average gradient of 6.92% — a number that sounds moderate on paper but rarely feels that way in the saddle. Averages hide the truth, and here the truth includes a max gradient of 17.4%. This is a sustained, honest mountain effort: long enough to demand pacing discipline, steep enough to punish anyone who ignores it.

How the Gradient Unfolds

With a 6.92% average across 8.5 km, Las Rojas offers no real recovery — this is a climb you settle into rather than attack in bursts. The total ascent of 552 m sits just below the 591 m net gain, which tells you the road climbs almost relentlessly with only the faintest downhill relief along the way. The defining feature is the spread between the 6.92% average and the 17.4% maximum. That gap means the steepest ramps are more than double the average, so stretches that sit at or below 6.92% are balanced out by pitches that bite hard. Expect to shift down suddenly when the gradient jumps toward 17.4%, then reset your rhythm once it eases back toward the mean.

Pacing Notes

Climbs of this length reward riders who hold a steady, sub-threshold effort rather than surging. A good rule is to sit just under your FTP for the bulk of the 8.5 km, keeping a small reserve for the 17.4% ramps where power spikes are unavoidable. At 6.92% average over this distance, most riders will spend 30 minutes or more climbing, so overcooking the lower slopes is the classic mistake. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan an assault on Las Rojas. Meter your effort so the last kilometers — after 591 m of accumulated gain — still leave something in the tank for the steepest pitches near the 785 m summit.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. With a 17.4% max and a 6.92% average sustained over 8.5 km, compact chainrings and a wide cassette are your friends. A 34×32 is the sensible baseline for a fit climber who wants to keep cadence respectable on the mean gradient. But given those 17.4% ramps and 591 m of vertical to grind out, most riders will be glad of a 34×34, which buys you an extra escape gear when the road kicks up and your legs are already deep into the climb. Err toward the easier ratio — spinning beats grinding over a Category 1 effort.

Summary

Alto de Las Rojas is a proper Category 1 test: 8.5 km, 6.92% average, and a 17.4% sting, lifting you 591 m from valley to summit. Pace it patiently, gear it generously, and respect the ramps.

Length: 8.5 km
Average gradient: 6.92%
Max gradient: 17.4%
Start: 194 m
Summit: 785 m
Net gain: 591 m
Total ascent: 552 m
Category: 1