Collado de Array

Overview

Collado de Array is a long, patient climb: 15.6 km of road that lifts you from 716 m at the base to 1194 m at the summit. On paper the 3.06% average gradient reads gentle, and for much of the ascent it is. But that average hides a sting — the steepest ramp kicks up to 10.98%, more than three times the mean. The net elevation gain is 478 m, while the total ascent logged along the way is 465 m, a small gap that tells you the road is not relentlessly upward. There are levelling stretches, and perhaps a brief respite or two, woven between the harder pitches. Rated category 3, it sits comfortably in the "steady effort" tier rather than the leg-breaking hors catégorie bracket.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The story of this climb is variance. A 3.06% average across 15.6 km would be a rolling false flat if it were uniform — but it isn't. The 10.98% maximum means the effort arrives in concentrated bursts. Expect long, shallow drags where you can hold rhythm and turn a big gear, punctuated by short, sharp ramps that force you out of the saddle or down through the cassette. Because the net gain (478 m) slightly exceeds the total ascent figure (465 m), the profile likely includes flat or near-flat sections that dilute the average without giving anything back. Read the road ahead: the danger on a climb like this is over-committing on the mellow kilometres and arriving at the steep ramps already in the red.

Pacing Notes

Treat Array as a tempo climb with surges. Aim to sit just under threshold on the shallow gradient and reserve headroom for the 10.98% pitches, where power spikes are unavoidable. Anchor your effort to a percentage of your FTP rather than to speed, since the varying gradient makes pace a poor guide. A sensible target is holding a comfortably firm tempo on the flats and letting the steep ramps push you briefly above threshold, then settling back. If you don't have a current threshold number, run the FTP estimator before you ride so your pacing zones reflect your real fitness. On a 15.6 km climb, discipline in the first third pays dividends in the last.

Gearing

The average gradient won't dictate your gearing — the 10.98% maximum will. For most riders a compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a wide cassette is the right call. A 34×32 low gear will carry strong climbers over the steep ramps while keeping cadence honest. If you're carrying fatigue, riding at altitude near the 1194 m summit, or simply prefer to spin, step up to a 34×34 for extra margin on the pitches that bite hardest. Given the long shallow sections, you'll also want usable mid-range gears to keep tempo without over-gearing — but size your bottom end for the worst ramp, not the average.

Summary

Collado de Array rewards patience and punishes over-eagerness. It's a category 3 climb where the modest 3.06% average masks a 10.98% sting, and where reading the road matters more than raw power. Pace to threshold, gear for the steepest ramp, and save something for the final kilometres.

Length: 15.6 km
Average gradient: 3.06%
Max gradient: 10.98%
Start: 716 m
Summit: 1194 m
Net gain: 478 m
Total ascent: 465 m
Category: 3