Collado de Fumarea

Overview

Collado de Fumarea is a category 2 climb that packs a genuine day's work into a compact 8.3 km. From a start elevation of 84 m it lifts you to a summit of 580 m, a net elevation gain of 496 m over the ride. The average gradient reads a sustained 5.99%, the kind of number that never lets you settle into a rhythm but rarely tips into the red on its own. The sting is in the peaks: sections touch 12.81%, more than double the average, so the effort comes in waves rather than as one long steady drag.

The gap between the 496 m net gain and the 479 m of total ascent tells you almost the whole road climbs. There is very little false flat and almost no descending to recover on — you gain nearly every metre you take on. That makes Fumarea an honest climb: what you see on the profile is what you pay for.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Think of the 5.99% average as a baseline you rarely ride exactly. Over 8.3 km the road pitches up and eases back around that mean, and the difference between the 5.99% average and the 12.81% max — a swing of 6.82 percentage points — is where the climb defines itself. The steepest ramps are where your legs and lungs get tested, while the shallower stretches between them are your only chance to reset.

With 479 m of total ascent spread across the distance, the climbing is dense and continuous. There are no long plateaus to hide behind. Expect to be climbing from the moment the road tilts up near 84 m until you crest at 580 m.

Pacing Notes

The smart way to ride Fumarea is to hold a steady effort through the average-gradient sections and accept that the 12.81% ramps will spike your power well above target. Anchor your pacing to your FTP: on a category 2 climb of this length, aiming for a controlled percentage of threshold on the shallower gradients leaves headroom to absorb the steep pitches without blowing up.

If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. Getting that anchor right matters more here than on a shorter climb, because 8.3 km of near-constant ascent will magnify any early overreach.

Gearing

At 5.99% average with 12.81% peaks, gearing is about protecting your cadence on the ramps. For most riders a compact chainring paired with a wide-range cassette is the right call. A 34×32 will handle the sustained 5.99% comfortably and cover most of the steeper sections, but the 12.81% pitches are where a 34×34 earns its place — that extra sprocket lets you spin rather than grind when the road bites hardest.

If you climb seated and value cadence, favour the 34×34. If you are strong and prefer to stand through the steep bits, 34×32 is enough. Either way, save something for the ramps.

Summary

Collado de Fumarea is a category 2 climb that rewards patience: 8.3 km at 5.99% with brief 12.81% teeth, rising 496 m from base to summit. Pace it off your threshold, gear for the steep sections, and let the steady stretches carry you to the top.

Length: 8.3 km
Average gradient: 5.99%
Max gradient: 12.81%
Start: 84 m
Summit: 580 m
Net gain: 496 m
Total ascent: 479 m
Category: 2