Coll de sa Gramola

Overview

Coll de sa Gramola is a Category 2 climb in Spain that starts at sea level and works its way up to a summit at 339 m. Over its 4.2 km, it delivers a net elevation gain of 339 m at an average gradient of 8.02%. Starting from zero and climbing steadily, it is short enough to attack but steep enough to punish a rider who misjudges the opening.

The average gradient understates the real workload. Against the 339 m of net gain, the climb records 442 m of total ascent — roughly 103 m of extra climbing packed into rollers and short descents along the way. That undulation means you pay for every dip twice: once losing height, once regaining it. Expect the effort to feel harder than the 8.02% headline number suggests, because the profile keeps resetting your rhythm rather than letting you settle into one steady grind.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An 8.02% average on a climb with 103 m of hidden ascent is not a uniform slope — it is a series of ramps stitched together by brief lulls. The steep sections sit well above the average, and they arrive after short recovery breaks that tempt you to over-spend.

• Flatter or slightly descending sections that let you recover, but also cost you height you must climb back
• Repeated short, sharp climbs rather than one continuous wall
• A steepest ramp that spikes far above the 8.02% average, demanding your lowest gear and a controlled effort

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chasing even speed is a trap: you burn matches accelerating out of every dip and hitting the steep ramps too hard. Aim instead for even effort, holding a steady sustainable power output through the ramps and easing back — not coasting — on the flatter stretches so you carry momentum into the next rise.

Because the 103 m of extra ascent inflates the true cost, pace to the effort you can hold for the full 4.2 km, not the first ramp. If you do not know that number yet, run the FTP estimator and set a ceiling you will not exceed on the steepest pitches.

Gearing

The steepest ramp is what governs your gearing here, not the average. On a climb with sharp pitches well above 8%, a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette gives you the low gear you need to spin rather than grind. Something in the range of a 34×32 or 34×34 lets you keep cadence up when the gradient bites.

Check your setup before the ride. Confirm your smallest chainring and largest sprocket actually deliver a low enough ratio — sorting gearing at home is far easier than discovering you are over-geared halfway up.

Summary

• Length: 4.2 km
• Average gradient: 8.02%
• Net elevation gain: 339 m
• Total ascent: 442 m
• Category: 2

Coll de sa Gramola is a compact but demanding Cat 2 effort: sea-level start, 339 m of net gain, and 442 m of total climbing over just 4.2 km. Respect the undulation, pace to effort, and gear low — do that and its steep ramps become manageable rather than decisive.