Alto de Rodriguez

Overview

Alto de Rodriguez is a 9 km category 2 climb that lifts you from 1596 m to a summit of 2025 m. On paper it reads as a steady effort: 429 m of net elevation gain spread across the full 9 km, for an average gradient of 4.75%. That number is honest but incomplete. The road pitches up to a maximum of 7.61% in its steeper sections, so while the mean keeps you honest, the peaks will make you work. With a total ascent of 410 m recorded against a net gain of 429 m, this is a climb that trends relentlessly upward with almost no relief — there is little in the way of false-flat descending to recover on.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Think of Alto de Rodriguez as a climb with two personalities living inside one average. The 4.75% mean gradient is the figure you can ride all day, but the 7.61% max tells you where the road stops being polite. The gap between those two numbers — roughly three percentage points — is the difference you'll feel in your legs when the pitch steepens. Because the net gain of 429 m sits slightly above the 410 m total ascent, the profile is remarkably clean: you keep climbing, and the elevation display keeps ticking upward from 1596 m toward 2025 m. Expect the steeper ramps to arrive in the middle and upper thirds, where 9 km of accumulated altitude starts to compound with the thinner air near 2025 m.

Pacing Notes

The smart way to ride a climb like this is by power, not ego. Set your target just below or at your threshold and hold it through the 7.61% ramps rather than surging. Your FTP is the number to anchor to here — at 4.75% average over 9 km, you'll be sitting near threshold for a sustained block, so knowing that figure precisely matters. If you're unsure of yours, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan your effort. Aim to arrive at the steep sections with something in reserve; the elevation is against you as you approach 2025 m, and the last portion of the 429 m gain always feels heavier than the first.

Gearing

For a 9 km climb averaging 4.75% with ramps to 7.61%, you want a compact setup and a generous cassette. A 34×32 will cover most riders comfortably on the sustained gradient, giving you a spinnable option through the steeper pitches without grinding. If you climb at a lower cadence, tend toward heavier legs, or simply want insurance for the 7.61% sections near the summit, step up to a 34×34. That extra sprocket keeps your cadence alive when the road bites and the air thins toward 2025 m — cheap insurance for a 429 m ascent.

Summary

Alto de Rodriguez is a clean, honest category 2 climb: steady enough to pace, steep enough to respect. Ride it by power, gear generously, and let the numbers do the talking.

Length: 9 km
Average gradient: 4.75%
Max gradient: 7.61%
Start: 1596 m
Summit: 2025 m
Net gain: 429 m
Total ascent: 410 m
Category: 2