Boquerón Pan de Azúcar

Overview

Boquerón Pan de Azúcar is a Category 1 climb that stretches for 22.7 km, a genuinely long ascent that rewards patience over aggression. It begins at 2067 m and tops out at 3146 m, delivering a net elevation gain of 1079 m. The average gradient reads a modest-sounding 4.75%, but that figure hides the climb's real character: with a maximum pitch of 22.48%, the road is anything but uniform. This is an effort measured in tens of minutes, sometimes hours, where the mountain slowly extracts everything you have.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Do not be fooled by the 4.75% average. Over 22.7 km, an average that gentle can only exist because the climb mixes near-flat recovery stretches with savage ramps. The 22.48% maximum tells you that somewhere on this road there are gradients steep enough to force you out of the saddle and into survival mode. Because the total ascent is 1140 m while the net gain is 1079 m, there are roughly 61 m of descending or false-flat woven into the route — small dips that break rhythm and remind you the climb is not always going up. Expect the profile to pulse: easy, then hard, then easy again, with the steepest walls demanding respect rather than heroics.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing is the whole game. Aim to settle into a sustainable effort anchored to your FTP rather than chasing the steep ramps. The 4.75% average sections are where you make time efficiently; the 22.48% pitches are where you simply limit losses, spinning the smallest gear you own and letting your heart rate spike briefly before it recovers on the flatter stretches. Starting at 2067 m and climbing past 3000 m means thinning air will blunt your power the higher you go, so bank nothing early. If you are unsure what wattage you can hold for the better part of an hour, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. Ride the average, absorb the maximum, and never redline on the ramps.

Gearing

For a 22.7 km climb with sections hitting 22.48%, gear generously. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring is the sensible starting point up front. Pair it with at least a 34×32 for the sustained middle-gradient work, but given the 22.48% maximum and 1079 m of climbing, most riders will be far happier with a 34×34. If your bike accepts an even wider cassette, take it — spinning a light gear on the steep walls preserves the legs you will need across the full 1140 m of total ascent. Being over-geared here is a mistake that compounds with every pedal stroke.

Summary

Boquerón Pan de Azúcar is a long, uneven Category 1 test where a friendly 4.75% average masks 22.48% teeth. Pace to your sustainable effort, gear low, and respect the altitude as you climb toward 3146 m.

Length: 22.7 km
Average gradient: 4.75%
Max gradient: 22.48%
Start: 2067 m
Summit: 3146 m
Net gain: 1079 m
Total ascent: 1140 m
Category: 1