Alto de Valdelavía

Overview

Alto de Valdelavía is a long, patient category 2 climb that trades steepness for sheer distance. Over 22.9 km the road lifts you from 709 m at the base to 1453 m at the summit, a net gain of 744 m. On paper the 3.24% average sounds gentle, and for much of the ascent it genuinely is — but 22.9 km is a long time to hold any effort, and the total ascent of 769 m (a touch more than the net gain, thanks to small dips along the way) means the road is not perfectly monotonic. This is a climb about rhythm and endurance rather than raw wall-storming power.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is the gap between the 3.24% average and the 8.12% maximum. That spread tells you the climb is uneven: long stretches sit well below average, which means the steeper ramps must claw back the balance to keep the mean where it is. Expect shallow, almost false-flat sections where you can settle into a big gear, punctuated by pitches that steepen toward that 8.12% ceiling. Because the total ascent (769 m) exceeds the net gain (744 m) by 25 m, there are brief levellings or slight descents that break the rhythm — small relief points, but also traps if you let your cadence collapse and then have to rebuild speed against a rising ramp.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats bravado. The sustainable target is your FTP — the power you can hold for roughly an hour — and at nearly 23 km most riders will be on this climb for around that long. Aim to sit just at or slightly below threshold on the shallow sections and allow yourself to drift a little over it on the pitches toward 8.12%, then recover on the false flats rather than surging. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan your effort. The classic mistake on a 3.24% average is going out too hard because it feels easy early — with 744 m still to climb, that debt compounds. Meter it out.

Gearing

The modest average gradient means you won't need ultra-compact gearing, but the length and the 8.12% ramps still reward having something in reserve. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is ideal. A 34×32 will cover most of the climb comfortably, letting you spin the shallow sections and stay seated on the steeper pitches. If you climb at a naturally high cadence, tend toward the heavy side, or expect fatigue over 22.9 km, drop to a 34×34 — the extra rear cog costs nothing on the flats and buys you a lower floor for the max-gradient sections near the top.

Summary

Alto de Valdelavía is an endurance climb first and a gradient climb second: 22.9 km of steady work with just enough variation to punish a careless pace. Respect the distance, meter your threshold, and gear for the ramps rather than the average.

Length: 22.9 km
Average gradient: 3.24%
Max gradient: 8.12%
Start: 709 m
Summit: 1453 m
Net gain: 744 m
Total ascent: 769 m
Category: 2