Alto del Mercado

Overview

Alto del Mercado is a long, patient climb: 14.9 km of road that carries you from a valley floor at 1674 m up to a summit of 2265 m. On paper the 3.97% average gradient reads as gentle, and for long stretches it is — but that number hides real teeth, with the steepest pitch tipping to 11.68%. The climb earns its category 2 rating not through relentless steepness but through duration and altitude, both of which quietly compound over its 591 m of net gain. Add the small dips and rollers along the way and your legs actually do 610 m of total ascent before the road levels out.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature of Alto del Mercado is the gap between its average and its maximum. A 3.97% mean spread across 14.9 km tells you most of the climb is manageable — the kind of grade you can turn over in a steady rhythm. But a 11.68% max means the road is not uniform. Expect the effort to arrive in pulses: easier ramps where you recover, punctuated by short, sharp kicks that briefly quadruple the average grade. Because the summit sits at 2265 m, thin air makes every one of those steeper sections cost more than the raw percentage suggests. The math is worth internalizing: 2265 m minus 1674 m is 591 m of net vertical, but the 610 m of total ascent tells you there are a handful of false flats and small descents woven in that you'll have to reclaim.

Pacing Notes

The trap on a climb like this is the deceptively low average. Riders see 3.97% and start too hard, then blow apart on the 11.68% ramps. Anchor your effort to your sustainable power, not the grade you happen to be on. A climb of 14.9 km at this altitude is squarely an FTP-length effort, so ride the flatter sections just below threshold and let the steep pitches push you a touch over — without redlining. If you don't know your threshold number yet, run it through the FTP estimator before you commit to a pacing plan. Bank patience early; the altitude at 2265 m punishes anyone who overspends in the first third.

Gearing

Don't be fooled by the modest 3.97% average when choosing gears — the 11.68% max and the 14.9 km length are what dictate your setup. A compact crankset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline here. A 34×32 will get most fit riders over the steepest ramps, but given the length and the thin air near 2265 m, a 34×34 buys you a valuable extra cog to spin rather than grind. On a climb this long, protecting your cadence on the hard pitches is what keeps the final kilometers from unraveling.

Summary

Alto del Mercado is a climb of endurance and altitude rather than pure gradient — a steady 14.9 km ascent with just enough sharp pitches to keep you honest. Pace it to your threshold, gear conservatively, and respect the thinning air toward the top.

Length: 14.9 km
Average gradient: 3.97%
Max gradient: 11.68%
Start: 1674 m
Summit: 2265 m
Net gain: 591 m
Total ascent: 610 m
Category: 2