Alto del Perdón

Overview

Alto del Perdón is a Category 3 climb in Spain, running 8.6 km from a start elevation of 421 m to a summit at 728 m. That gives a net elevation gain of 307 m over the length of the ascent. On paper it reads as a moderate, approachable climb — the kind of effort a fit rider can hold without ever tipping fully into the red.

The profile hides more than the net figure suggests. Total ascent across the climb is 452 m, which is 145 m more than the net gain. That gap is undulation: sections that give elevation back before you have to earn it again. Every one of those 145 metres is climbing your legs still have to do, even though it never counts toward the summit height. Treat this as a 452 m climbing day, not a 307 m one, and pace accordingly.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 3.57% average is misleading on its own. A climb that gains 307 m of net elevation but stacks up 452 m of total ascent is not a steady grade — it is a series of ramps separated by flatter and descending ground, with a steepest pitch reaching 10.14%.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or tips downward, handing back elevation
• Repeated short climbs that force you to re-accelerate rather than settle into one rhythm
• A steepest ramp of 10.14% that will spike your power well above the average

Pacing Notes

On a smooth, steady climb you would ride even-effort and let speed drift. Alto del Perdón's undulation breaks that model. Because the road repeatedly flattens and pitches back up, holding a fixed sustainable power output means you surge on the false flats and grind on the ramps — inefficient and hard to hold.

Instead, ride even-effort on the ramps and resist the urge to hammer the flatter recovery sections. Bank the easy ground as genuine recovery so you have headroom for the 10.14% pitch. Set your target zones against a current benchmark using the FTP estimator before you go, and cap your ramp efforts a touch below threshold so the repeats don't accumulate into fatigue.

Gearing

The 10.14% maximum is the number that governs your setup, not the 3.57% average. A double-digit ramp late in a climb is where an over-geared bike costs you cadence and, eventually, control. Run a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 low gear keeps you spinning through the steepest pitch instead of mashing. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride; confirming the low gear at home is far cheaper than discovering it halfway up the ramp.

Summary

• Length: 8.6 km
• Average gradient: 3.57%
• Maximum gradient: 10.14%
• Net elevation gain: 307 m
• Total ascent: 452 m
• Category: 3

Alto del Perdón rewards riders who read past the average. The modest 3.57% gradient masks 452 m of total climbing and a 10.14% ramp — pace the recoveries, gear for the steep, and it plays to your strengths.