Alto de Piedrafita

Overview

Alto de Piedrafita is a short but honest category 3 climb that packs a real punch into a compact package. Over just 2.4 km, the road lifts you from a start elevation of 194 m to a summit of 361 m, a net gain of 167 m. The average gradient of 6.98% tells most of the story: this is a consistent, hard-working ascent with no long flat sections to hide behind. With a total ascent of 149 m recorded along the way, nearly every metre of road is pointed uphill. It is the kind of climb you can attack from bottom to top, but only if you judge the effort correctly.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is consistency. With an average of 6.98% and a maximum of 7.99%, the spread between the typical slope and the steepest pitch is barely more than a single percentage point. That means there are no vicious ramps waiting to break your rhythm, and equally no soft kilometres where you can freewheel and recover. Instead you get a wall of steady gradient that sits in the high sixes and low sevens for the full 2.4 km. Because the difference between net gain (167 m) and total ascent (149 m) is small, the profile has very little rolling or false-flat character — it simply climbs. Expect the slope to feel relentless rather than explosive, rewarding a smooth, sustained effort over sharp accelerations.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steady, pacing is everything. Because the gradient never lets up, going out too hard in the opening metres will cost you dearly across the full 2.4 km. Aim to settle into an effort you can hold to the top rather than surging early. A climb of this length sits in the zone where riders can push at or slightly above their FTP for the whole ascent, since 2.4 km at 6.98% is short enough to sustain a threshold-plus effort but long enough to punish a blow-up. If you are not sure what your sustainable power is, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first, then set a target you can lock into from the base. Keep your cadence steady and let the even gradient do the pacing work for you.

Gearing

For a sustained 6.98% average topping out near 7.99%, you want gearing that keeps your cadence comfortable without forcing you to grind. A 34×32 is a sensible baseline for strong climbers who can hold torque on a steady slope, giving you enough range to spin the consistent gradient without over-gearing. If you prefer to protect your legs, or you are riding this near the end of a longer day, a 34×34 buys you a little extra headroom on the steepest pitches and lets you keep the pedals turning smoothly all the way to 361 m. Either way, favour a slightly higher cadence over a heavy, low-rpm slog — the even gradient rewards spinning.

Summary

Alto de Piedrafita is a concise, no-nonsense category 3 climb: short, steady, and unrelenting. With a near-constant gradient and only 167 m of net elevation to conquer, it is an ideal effort to pace precisely and ride at threshold. Set your gearing, settle your rhythm, and hold it to the top.

Length: 2.4 km
Average gradient: 6.98%
Max gradient: 7.99%
Start: 194 m
Summit: 361 m
Net gain: 167 m
Total ascent: 149 m
Category: 3