Alto de Totumal

Overview

Alto de Totumal is a long, honest Category 1 ascent that rewards patience over aggression. Over 18.9 km the road climbs from 233 m to a 1437 m summit, a net gain of 1204 m and a total ascent of 1217 m once the small dips and false flats are counted. The average gradient of 6.38% sounds civilised, but the spread is what defines this climb: a peak pitch of 32.87% lurks somewhere in the profile, and that single number should reshape how you approach everything from your warm-up to your gearing.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Do not be fooled by the average. A 6.38% mean stretched across 18.9 km would be a steady tempo effort if the road held that pitch the whole way — but the gap between 6.38% and the 32.87% maximum tells you the slope is anything but uniform. Expect long sustained stretches around the average interrupted by sharp, punishing ramps. The 13 m difference between the 1204 m net gain and the 1217 m total ascent confirms there are brief respites or descents where you recover a little altitude before giving it back. Read the road ahead: bank effort on the shallower sections so you have something left when the gradient spikes toward that 32.87% wall.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, your enemy is your own enthusiasm in the first few kilometres. Target a power that you can genuinely hold for the full 18.9 km — for most riders that means settling in below your FTP and treating the average 6.38% sections as your anchor pace, not your ceiling. Save headroom above threshold for the steepest ramps, where cadence collapses and power naturally surges. If you do not know your threshold number, run it through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target so your pacing is grounded in real data rather than feel. The 1204 m of vertical is unforgiving of a fast start.

Gearing

The 32.87% maximum makes gearing the single most important decision here. A compact 34-tooth chainring is the sensible front end, but the cassette is where you buy survival. A 34×32 low gear is the realistic minimum for a fit, experienced climber tackling 18.9 km at 6.38% average — it lets you spin the sustained sections without grinding. If you have any doubt about the steepest ramps, or you want to keep cadence up over 1204 m of climbing, drop to a 34×34. On pitches approaching 32.87%, that extra sprocket is the difference between turning the pedals and walking.

Summary

Alto de Totumal is a full Category 1 test: long enough to demand discipline, steep enough in places to demand respect. Pace it below threshold, gear it generously, and let the 6.38% average carry you toward the 1437 m summit while you save your matches for the 32.87% ramps.

Length: 18.9 km
Average gradient: 6.38%
Max gradient: 32.87%
Start: 233 m
Summit: 1437 m
Net gain: 1204 m
Total ascent: 1217 m
Category: 1