Alto de Los Pocitos

Overview

Alto de Los Pocitos is a long, honest Category 1 climb that asks for patience before it asks for power. Over 17.4 km the road lifts you from 642 m at the base to 1819 m at the summit — a net gain of 1177 m. The average gradient of 6.76% sits squarely in the range where a climb stops being a warm-up and starts being a workload, and the total ascent of 1301 m confirms that the road rolls and pitches rather than tilting at one clean angle. This is a climb measured in effort budgeted across the better part of an hour, not in short heroics.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number is the 6.76% average, but averages hide the story. The 124 m gap between the 1177 m net gain and the 1301 m total ascent tells you the profile is not monotonic — there are dips and false flats where the road gives a little back, which means the climbing sections must be steeper than the average to compensate. The proof is the 30.16% maximum gradient: a wall more than four times the average pitch. Ramps that steep are almost always brief, but they arrive when your legs are already loaded, so they punch well above their length. Expect a climb that alternates steady grinding with sharp, out-of-the-saddle spikes.

Pacing Notes

On a 17.4 km effort, discipline early is everything. Anchor your pace to your sustainable threshold rather than to feel — the opening kilometres flatter you, and riders who chase that early comfort pay for it near the 1819 m summit. Ride the steady stretches at or just below your FTP, and treat the 30.16% ramps as accepted overshoots: surge only as much as needed to keep momentum, then settle straight back to threshold. If you do not know your ceiling, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan this climb, because 1177 m of net gain punishes guesswork. A climb this long rewards a metered, repeatable effort over a fast start.

Gearing

With an average of 6.76% dragging out over 17.4 km and spikes to 30.16%, gear for the ramps, not the average. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline here. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up the sustained sections, but on the steepest pitches — and this climb touches 30.16% — you will want the extra relief of a 34×34 to keep your cadence up and your knees intact. If your setup allows an even larger sprocket, take it; there is no prize for grinding a big gear across 1301 m of ascent. Spin the climb; do not muscle it.

Summary

Alto de Los Pocitos is a complete Category 1 test: long enough to expose weak pacing, steep enough in places to expose weak gearing. Respect the 17.4 km, gear low, and hold your threshold, and the 1819 m summit comes to you.

Length: 17.4 km
Average gradient: 6.76%
Max gradient: 30.16%
Start: 642 m
Summit: 1819 m
Net gain: 1177 m
Total ascent: 1301 m
Category: 1