Alto de las Rozas

Overview

Alto de las Rozas is a category-2 climb that measures 10.7 km from base to top. It launches at 1063 m and tops out at 1667 m, a net gain of 604 m. The average gradient sits at 5.66%, steady enough to reward rhythm but with a peak pitch of 9.14% that keeps you honest. Total ascent over the climb comes to 578 m, so this is very nearly an uninterrupted upward effort with little in the way of respite.

At just over ten and a half kilometres, it is long enough to demand a real plan rather than a burst of enthusiasm. The category-2 label places it in the middle of the difficulty scale, below the hors-catégorie and category-1 monsters but well clear of the short category-3 and category-4 rises.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is the gap between the 5.66% average and the 9.14% maximum. That spread of roughly 3.48 percentage points tells you the climb is not perfectly uniform: for long stretches it hovers near or slightly below the average, then stiffens toward its steepest ramp before easing again.

With 604 m of net gain across 10.7 km, the climb averages a shade under 57 m of elevation for every kilometre. Because the total ascent (578 m) is a touch lower than the net gain, there is essentially no downhill or false-flat give-back once you begin — every metre of road tilts upward. Expect the hardest sensations where the grade approaches that 9.14% figure, and use the flatter-than-average sections to recover without stalling.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this length, pacing beats bravado. Aim to ride the bulk of the 10.7 km at or just under your threshold, holding a little in reserve for the 9.14% pitch. A useful anchor is your FTP: riding the sustained portions around 88–94% of it typically leaves enough headroom to absorb the steep ramp without blowing up.

If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. With 604 m to gain, the effort is long enough that going out too hard in the first few kilometres will cost you far more than a conservative, even-paced start.

Gearing

For a 10.7 km climb averaging 5.66% with ramps to 9.14%, give yourself gears to spare. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will cover most riders comfortably on the sustained sections, letting you spin rather than grind through the 604 m of climbing.

For the steepest pitch near 9.14%, or if you are riding tired or loaded, step up to a 34×34. That extra sprocket keeps your cadence alive when the grade bites and protects your legs across the full length of the climb. Err toward the easier ratio — on a category-2 effort this long, the cost of carrying one gear too many is negligible next to the cost of running out.

Summary

Alto de las Rozas is a long, honest category-2 climb: 10.7 km of near-continuous ascent from 1063 m to 1667 m, averaging 5.66% with a single stinging pitch at 9.14%. Pace it around threshold, gear for the steep bits, and the 604 m of gain will come to you.

Length: 10.7 km
Average gradient: 5.66%
Max gradient: 9.14%
Start: 1063 m
Summit: 1667 m
Net gain: 604 m
Total ascent: 578 m
Category: 2