Alto del Venado cycling climb profile
Alto del Venado is a Category 1 climb in Colombia built around persistence rather than violent gradient changes. On paper, the headline is 41.9 km at an average gradient of 3.79%, rising from 335 m to 1,923 m. That tells you most of what matters tactically: this is not a climb you beat by muscling through a few steep ramps, but one you manage through pacing discipline over a long, aerobic effort.
The climb gains 1,588 m from bottom to summit, with 1,642 m of total ascent. That small gap between net gain and total ascent points to a route that trends consistently uphill, with limited relief from descending or major undulation. For a rider, that usually means the climb never gives you many free resets. Even if the average gradient looks moderate, the work keeps accumulating.
How the gradient unfolds
With an average of 3.79% across 41.9 km, Alto del Venado should feel more like an extended climbing drag than a punchy wall. The max gradient of 8.94% is important, though, because it shows the climb does have steeper sections that can punish poor pacing.
The key is not to read the average gradient as permission to ride aggressively from the base. A climb this long at a mostly manageable pitch tempts riders into settling slightly above sustainable power, especially early when the road feels controlled. That mistake compounds. By the time the steeper pitches arrive, even gradients under 9% can feel costly if you have already burned through your aerobic margin.
Pacing strategy
Ride the lower slopes as if the summit is much farther away than it feels. For most riders, the right effort sits below threshold early, especially if using /glossary/ftp as the pacing anchor. The climb is long enough that repeated surges will matter more than one short overreach.
A practical approach:
- Keep the first part deliberately restrained, even if the gradient feels easy.
- Let speed fluctuate with the slope rather than forcing a constant pace.
- Save harder efforts for the steepest sections near the 8.94% maximum.
- Avoid chasing every small acceleration if riding in a group, because the length makes inefficiency expensive.
Gearing notes
Do not gear only for the 3.79% average. That number describes the whole climb, but the max gradient of 8.94% is what decides whether you can keep cadence smooth when fatigue is already present. Choose a setup that lets you stay seated and controlled on the steepest ramps, not one that only feels efficient on the gentler ground.
Because Alto del Venado starts at 335 m and finishes at 1,923 m, the effort also carries a clear elevation change from bottom to top. The practical consequence is simple: pacing needs to be conservative enough that you are still producing steady power late in the climb, rather than relying on early freshness. Use a realistic sustainable target, and if needed, check it with /tools/ftp-estimator before treating this as a threshold test.