Coll de la Maçana (Espolla)

Overview

The Coll de la Maçana from Espolla is a proper hors catégorie test, and the numbers alone tell you why. Over 10.4 km it averages 10.24%, dragging you from a start elevation of 93 m to a summit at 1160 m. That is a net gain of 1067 m and a total ascent of 1024 m — meaning almost every metre you climb, you keep. There is no false valley to hide in, no rolling relief to reset your legs. It is one of those climbs where the average gradient is not a warning of what might come; it is a promise of what does.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 10.24% average sustained for over ten kilometres is already brutal, but the shape is what defines the Maçana. The gap between the average of 10.24% and the max of 19.52% is roughly nine percentage points, and that spread lives in the ramps. Expect long stretches sitting near or above the double-digit mean, punctuated by pitches that lurch toward that 19.52% ceiling.

With a net gain of 1067 m against a total ascent of 1024 m, the descents-within-the-climb are almost negligible — only a handful of metres are ever given back. This is essentially a one-way staircase. The steepest sections tend to arrive when you are already deep into the effort, so the closing kilometres toward 1160 m feel disproportionately savage against tiring legs.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this relentless, pacing is survival. Because the gradient rarely dips, you cannot rely on flatter breathers to recover — your effort must be metered from the base. Anchor your target to your FTP and hold a sustainable percentage of it rather than chasing the ramps. When the road tilts toward 19.52%, momentum evaporates and power spikes; let the pace drop and protect your average over the full 10.4 km instead of blowing apart on a single wall.

If you are unsure of your current threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then set a ceiling you can defend for the full 1067 m of climbing. Starting one gear too hard here compounds fast.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. For a 10.24% average with ramps to 19.52% over 10.4 km, most riders will want a compact up front and a wide-range cassette behind. A 34×32 is the sensible floor — enough to keep a turning cadence through the steady sections. But given the sustained 1067 m of gain and the pitches near 19.52%, a 34×34 gives you the extra breathing room to spin rather than grind when the road bites hardest. If your setup allows anything easier, use it; nobody has ever regretted an extra sprocket on an HC climb.

Summary

The Coll de la Maçana from Espolla is a concentrated, uncompromising HC climb: 10.4 km that never lets up, averaging 10.24% and spiking to 19.52%, hauling you 1067 m upward to a 1160 m summit. Respect the gradient, gear low, and pace from the bottom.

Length: 10.4 km
Average gradient: 10.24%
Max gradient: 19.52%
Start: 93 m
Summit: 1160 m
Net gain: 1067 m
Total ascent: 1024 m
Category: HC