Coll de les Bruixes

Overview

Coll de les Bruixes is short on paper and savage in the legs. Over just 2.8 km the road drags you from 96 m at the base to 388 m at the summit — a net gain of 292 m — at a relentless average gradient of 10.33%. That is not a rolling average softened by flat sections; it is a sustained double-digit wall from bottom to top. The climb carries a category 2 rating, which understates how it feels when the slope tilts to its 13.99% maximum. There is nowhere to hide and almost nothing in the way of recovery. If you like climbs where the difficulty is honest and immediate, this one delivers from the first pedal stroke.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is consistency. With an average of 10.33% and a maximum of only 13.99%, the spread between typical and hardest gradient is narrow — the climb never lets up, but it also never spikes into the unrideable. Expect long stretches hovering right around that 10.33% mean, punctuated by ramps that lean toward the 13.99% ceiling. Because the total ascent of 256 m is slightly less than the net gain of 292 m suggests when you account for the terrain, the road runs almost purely uphill with no meaningful descents to break the rhythm. The effect is a climb that feels longer than its 2.8 km, because your legs get no reprieve to reset between efforts.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, pacing is about not blowing up in the opening 300 metres. The temptation is to attack the first ramps while fresh, but at an average of 10.33% you will pay for any early over-effort long before the 388 m summit. Ride to a power target rather than to feel. Your FTP is the anchor here: on a 2.8 km climb you can sustain something above threshold, but only just, and only if you meter it evenly. If you do not know your current threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then hold a steady effort just above it, saving a little for the steeper 13.99% pitches so a cadence drop there does not turn into a stall.

Gearing

Gear for survival, not pride. At 10.33% average with 13.99% ramps, most riders will want a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette. A 34×32 is the sensible minimum and will get strong climbers up in a controlled rhythm. If your threshold power is more modest, or you simply want to spin rather than grind, step up to 34×34 — the extra sprocket keeps your cadence alive on the steepest sections and protects your knees over the full 292 m of climbing. There is no shame in the easier ratio on a wall like this; keeping the pedals turning is what gets you to 388 m intact.

Summary

Coll de les Bruixes is a compact category 2 test that punches well above its length. Just 2.8 km, but every metre earns its keep at 10.33% average, and the 13.99% maximum makes gearing and pacing non-negotiable. Come with a low gear and an even effort, and the 292 m to the top become a satisfying challenge rather than a beating.

Length: 2.8 km
Average gradient: 10.33%
Max gradient: 13.99%
Start: 96 m
Summit: 388 m
Net gain: 292 m
Total ascent: 256 m
Category: 2