Alto de San Cristóbal

Overview

Alto de San Cristóbal is a short, uncompromising climb that hides no easy metres. Over just 3.4 km it averages 8.22%, hauling you from a start elevation of 1026 m to a summit at 1307 m. That is a net elevation gain of 281 m packed into a stretch most riders can see almost end to end. Rated Category 2, it sits in the meat of the difficulty scale — steep enough to sting, short enough to tempt you into starting too hard. The combination of high average gradient and modest length makes it a pure effort: no rollers to recover on, no false flats to hide behind.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is consistency. An 8.22% average across 3.4 km means the road rarely relents, and with a max gradient of 10.71% the steepest ramps are only about 2.49 percentage points above the mean. This is not a climb of dramatic switchback walls followed by rest — it is a sustained, grinding pitch that holds its angle. The total ascent of 235 m against a net gain of 281 m tells you the profile is almost entirely upward with very little give-back, so what you climb, you keep. Expect the hardest sections to arrive where the gradient nudges toward that 10.71% ceiling, demanding a brief surge in effort before settling back into the relentless 8-plus percent rhythm.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, pacing is about restraint at the base. The temptation is to attack the first ramps, but 3.4 km at 8.22% will punish an early overreach long before the summit. Ride to your sustainable effort rather than to feel. Anchoring your pace to your FTP is the smartest approach: aim to sit just above threshold, knowing the effort lasts only a handful of minutes rather than an hour. If you are not sure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before your next attempt and use that figure to set a target you can hold from bottom to top. Save a little for the 10.71% pinches so a spike in gradient does not force a blowup.

Gearing

With an average of 8.22% and ramps to 10.71%, gearing that lets you spin is worth more than raw strength. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will get most fit riders up at a workable cadence, but on a pitch this sustained many will prefer the extra margin of a 34×34, which keeps your legs turning rather than grinding to a lurch on the steepest sections. Given the climb never eases across its 3.4 km, err toward the easier ratio — you will lose nothing and protect your legs.

Summary

Alto de San Cristóbal is a compact, honest test: steep, steady, and over quickly if you pace it right. Respect the opening ramps, gear low, and let the 281 m of gain come to you.

Length: 3.4 km
Average gradient: 8.22%
Max gradient: 10.71%
Start: 1026 m
Summit: 1307 m
Net gain: 281 m
Total ascent: 235 m
Category: 2