Alto del Socorro

Overview

Alto del Socorro is a long, patient climb rather than a wall to be muscled. Over 24.8 km it lifts you from a start elevation of 305 m to a summit at 1060 m, a net gain of 755 m with 760 m of total ascent once the small dips and rollers are counted. That extra 5 m tells you the road is not relentlessly upward — it breathes.

The headline number is the average gradient of 3.04%, which sits firmly in Category 2 territory. That average is gentle, but averages lie: this climb hides a maximum gradient of 12.23%, and the gap between a 3.04% mean and a 12.23% peak is where the real story lives. The difficulty here is duration and variability, not raw steepness.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Do the math on the whole climb and it is almost deceptively easy: 755 m of net gain across 24.8 km works out to that 3.04% average. But with a max of 12.23%, more than four times the mean, the gradient clearly clusters into contrasting zones — long shallow stretches that let you spin, punctuated by short pitches that force you out of rhythm.

The 5 m difference between total ascent (760 m) and net gain (755 m) confirms there are false flats and brief descents baked in. Expect to lose a little altitude and win it back. On a climb this long, those transitions matter more than any single steep ramp, because they repeatedly break your cadence and reset your effort.

Pacing Notes

The trap on Alto del Socorro is riding the 12.23% ramps like they define the climb. They don't. With 24.8 km ahead, your ceiling is set by sustainable effort, not by heroics on the steep bits.

Anchor your pacing to your FTP. On a Category 2 climb of this length, most riders hold just below threshold on the shallow sections and let power drift up on the steep pitches, keeping the average honest. If you don't know your current number, run the FTP estimator before you go so you can set a target you can actually hold for the full 755 m of climbing.

Practically: ride the flatter portions with intent — a 3.04% grade rewards steady wattage — and absorb the ramps toward 12.23% by shifting early rather than grinding. Bank nothing early; the climb is long enough to punish an overcooked opening.

Gearing

Because the average is a mild 3.04% but the max hits 12.23%, gearing is about protecting your legs on the spikes without over-gearing the long shallow middle. A compact 34-tooth inner ring is the sensible foundation.

Pair that 34 with at least a 34×32. That gives enough range to spin the 12.23% ramps at a cadence that keeps your effort aerobic instead of anaerobic. If you are a lighter climber, tire easily on long days, or simply value fresh legs at 1060 m, size up to 34×34 for extra margin. Over 24.8 km, that one-cog cushion is the difference between managing the steep sections and surviving them.

Summary

Alto del Socorro is a Category 2 endurance climb: long, mostly gentle, with just enough sting from its steepest pitches to keep you honest across all 24.8 km. Pace to your threshold, gear for the spikes, and let the 3.04% average do the rest.

Length: 24.8 km
Average gradient: 3.04%
Max gradient: 12.23%
Start: 305 m
Summit: 1060 m
Net gain: 755 m
Total ascent: 760 m
Category: 2