Alto de los Llanos

Overview

Alto de los Llanos is a short, honest category 4 climb that rewards rhythm over heroics. Over just 2.5 km the road lifts you from 357 m at the base to a 476 m summit, a net gain of 119 m. The average gradient of 4.69% sits comfortably in the tempo range for most riders, and with a max of only 5.38% there are no nasty spikes waiting to break your cadence. This is the kind of ascent you can ride hard from the bottom without fear of blowing up before the top.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is consistency. The gap between the 4.69% average and the 5.38% maximum is less than a single percentage point, which tells you almost everything: the slope barely deviates from its mean the whole way up. There is no false flat to hide behind and no wall to survive, just a near-constant grade that holds its shape from start to finish.

Note the difference between the 119 m net elevation gain and the 98 m total ascent figure. That gap reflects how the route's climbing is measured across its rolling profile rather than a single unbroken ramp. In practice you should treat this as a steady 2.5 km effort at a fixed intensity, because the terrain gives you nowhere to recover and nowhere it truly stings.

Pacing Notes

Because the gradient is so even, Alto de los Llanos is an ideal climb to ride at threshold. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold a steady power target for the full 2.5 km rather than surging. At 4.69% the climb is shallow enough that inertia matters, so a smooth, sustained push will always beat repeated accelerations.

If you are unsure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go. A well-calibrated target turns this ascent into a clean, repeatable interval. Aim to arrive at the 476 m summit having spent evenly across the whole 119 m of gain, with a little left to press over the top.

Gearing

With an average of 4.69% and a max of 5.38%, most fit riders will not need anything exotic. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a 34×32 low gear gives plenty of range to spin comfortably at tempo while keeping cadence high. That combination suits riders who want to stay seated and steady across the full 2.5 km.

If you prefer to grind less and spin more, or you are carrying fatigue from earlier climbing, a 34×34 adds a touch more relief without any downside on a slope this gentle. Either way, the modest 119 m of gain means gearing is about comfort and cadence here, not survival.

Summary

Alto de los Llanos is a short, evenly graded category 4 climb, perfect for a controlled threshold effort or a rhythm-focused warm-up. With so little variation between its average and maximum gradient, it rewards riders who pace evenly and hold a steady line to the summit.

Length: 2.5 km
Average gradient: 4.69%
Max gradient: 5.38%
Start: 357 m
Summit: 476 m
Net gain: 119 m
Total ascent: 98 m
Category: 4