Alto del Campanario

Overview

Alto del Campanario is a long, high-altitude category 1 climb that runs 17.8 km from a base at 1547 m to a summit at 2502 m. That is 955 m of net elevation gain, with 958 m of total ascent once the handful of flatter dips are accounted for. The average gradient reads 5.37%, which on paper sounds forgiving, but the length and the thin air above 2000 m are what make this a genuine test rather than a casual spin. This is a climb of patience: nearly eighteen kilometres of sustained effort with a summit sitting halfway to the sky.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number is that 5.37% average, but averages hide the story. With a maximum pitch of 18.75%, Campanario clearly is not a metronome. A near-19% wall against a mid-5% mean tells you the climb rides in waves: long stretches sitting at or just under the average, punctuated by sharp ramps that spike the effort well into the red. The 3 m gap between the 955 m net gain and the 958 m total ascent confirms there is very little descending here — almost every metre you climb, you keep. Expect to settle into a rhythm on the sustained sections, then stand and grind through the steep pitches before the gradient relents again.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats bravado. The steady average means your best tool is a consistent power target anchored to your FTP rather than chasing the steep ramps out of the saddle. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a pacing plan. Aim to hold a comfortable tempo through the shallower kilometres and treat the 18.75% spikes as short overloads to absorb, not efforts to attack — surging on the walls will cost you far more than it saves over 17.8 km. Remember that the summit sits at 2502 m: at that altitude your usual threshold power will feel harder, so build in a small margin and keep something in reserve for the final third.

Gearing

For 17.8 km at altitude with pitches touching 18.75%, gear low and gear early. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring is essential here. Pair it with at least a 34×32 for the sustained sections, but if you have any doubt about your climbing legs or you plan to ride within yourself, a 34×34 gives you the extra cadence room to spin the steep ramps rather than muscle them. Given the length and the thin air near the top, most riders will thank themselves for the 34×34 — spinning a low gear protects your legs across the full 955 m of climbing.

Summary

Alto del Campanario rewards patience and punishes ego. It is a sustained category 1 ascent where the modest 5.37% average masks brutal ramps and a lung-testing 2502 m summit. Pace to your threshold, gear low, and let the climb come to you.

Length: 17.8 km
Average gradient: 5.37%
Max gradient: 18.75%
Start: 1547 m
Summit: 2502 m
Net gain: 955 m
Total ascent: 958 m
Category: 1