Alto del Aliñadero

Overview

Alto del Aliñadero is a long-haul climb that trades brutal steepness for relentless duration. Over 30.8 km the road lifts you from a valley floor at 515 m to a summit at 2060 m — a net gain of 1545 m. The average gradient reads a modest 5.01%, but that figure hides the real story: this is a climb measured in hours, not minutes, and the effort is defined by how well you manage a long, mostly steady grind rather than by any single savage ramp.

At category 1, it sits just below hors catégorie in difficulty. The classification here is earned through sheer length and total vertical gain rather than knee-buckling pitches. The total ascent of 1700 m exceeds the net gain of 1545 m, which tells you the route is not a clean, monotonic pull — there are dips and false descents where you give back 155 m of hard-won elevation before climbing it again.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 5.01% average across 30.8 km is deceptively gentle on paper. In practice, an average like this is built from long stretches near the mean punctuated by steeper sections, with the max gradient touching 16.8%. That 16.8% spike is more than three times the average, so even though most of the climb sits in a comfortable rhythm, there are moments that demand a hard gear shift and a change of tempo.

Because total ascent (1700 m) runs 155 m above net gain (1545 m), expect rolling terrain rather than a single unbroken wall. Those rolling sections reset your cadence and break concentration — the flatter or downhill portions can tempt you into surging, which quietly burns matches you'll want later. Treat every easing of the grade as recovery, not as an invitation to attack.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing is everything. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold a sustainable power that you could theoretically maintain to the top and beyond. With 30.8 km of climbing ahead, going even slightly too hard in the first third will cost you dearly in the final kilometres as you approach 2060 m, where thinner air adds its own tax.

If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan your ride. A well-calibrated target lets you ride the steady 5.01% sections at a smooth, repeatable cadence and save something for the 16.8% pinches. On the false descents, spin easy and eat — the 155 m of extra ascent hidden in the total means the work isn't over until the summit.

Gearing

Long climbs reward low, forgiving gearing. For most riders, a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible choice. A 34×32 gives you a workable bailout for the majority of the grade, but given the 16.8% max and the sheer 30.8 km duration, a 34×34 is the safer call — that extra sprocket keeps your cadence high and your knees happy deep into a 1545 m ascent when fatigue sets in.

Summary

Alto del Aliñadero is an endurance climb first and a steepness challenge second: 30.8 km of steady work at 5.01%, with occasional 16.8% bites, delivering you to a 2060 m summit. Pace it to your threshold, gear low, and respect the length — the 1700 m of total ascent will find any weakness in your preparation.

Length: 30.8 km
Average gradient: 5.01%
Max gradient: 16.8%
Start: 515 m
Summit: 2060 m
Net gain: 1545 m
Total ascent: 1700 m
Category: 1