Collada Trabáu

Overview

Collada Trabáu is a category 1 climb that packs a genuine test into a tidy 10 km. From a start elevation of 594 m, the road hauls you up to a 1233 m summit, a net gain of 639 m. The average gradient reads 6.39%, which sounds civilized on paper, but that number hides a spikier reality: pitches touch 14.15% before easing again. This is a climb defined less by its steady average and more by the way it lurches between comfortable and cruel.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline figure of 6.39% is an average, not a promise. With a maximum of 14.15%, more than double that mean, the ascent is clearly uneven. Expect stretches where the grade sits at or below the average and lets you settle into rhythm, punctuated by ramps that spike well past it. The gap between the total ascent of 677 m and the net gain of 639 m tells its own small story: there are undulations along the way, brief lulls or dips that add up to 38 m of extra climbing you didn't strictly need. Those give the legs fleeting relief but also break any hope of a metronomic tempo. Read the road ahead and save something for the steep bites.

Pacing Notes

Because the average understates the hardest sections, pacing on Collada Trabáu is about discipline. Anchor your effort to your FTP rather than to how you feel in the opening kilometre, where fresh legs tempt you to overcook it. If you don't know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you ride, then hold something in reserve for the 14.15% ramps. A sensible plan is to ride the shallower gradients slightly under threshold, banking watts so the spikes don't blow you into the red. Over 10 km with 639 m to gain, a burnt match early is a match you'll badly miss near the top.

Gearing

The combination of a 6.39% average, a 14.15% maximum, and a full 10 km of climbing argues for generous gearing. A compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the right family of choice here. A 34x32 will get most fit riders over the summit, but on the steepest ramps you'll be grinding. If you want to spin rather than heave, or you're carrying fatigue from earlier climbing, opt for a 34x34 to give yourself an extra escape gear when the road tilts toward its maximum. On a category 1 with real gradient variance, the lower option is rarely a decision you regret.

Summary

Collada Trabáu rewards riders who respect its unevenness: a category 1 ascent where a modest average masks punishing ramps. Pace to your threshold, gear low, and let the summit come to you.

Length: 10 km
Average gradient: 6.39%
Max gradient: 14.15%
Start: 594 m
Summit: 1233 m
Net gain: 639 m
Total ascent: 677 m
Category: 1