Collado de la Amacolla

Overview

The Collado de la Amacolla is a category 3 ascent that runs for 10.6 km and lifts you from a start elevation of 506 m to a summit at 925 m. On paper it looks tame: the average gradient is a modest 3.95%, and the net elevation gain is only 419 m. But the numbers hide the real character of the climb. With a maximum gradient of 10.09%, this is not a steady drag you can sit and spin — it is an uneven road that rewards riders who read the terrain rather than staring at a single average.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The gap between the 3.95% average and the 10.09% maximum tells you everything about how this climb is shaped. Over 10.6 km, an average of 3.95% would normally imply gentle, almost highway-like pitches. Instead, the max of just over 10% means the gradient swings well above and below the mean. Expect stretches that flatten out or even relent — where you can recover and carry speed — punctuated by short, sharper ramps that spike toward double digits.

There is also a small but telling detail in the elevation figures. The net elevation gain is 419 m (925 m minus 506 m), yet the total ascent is 403 m. That 16 m difference points to the road losing a little height along the way, confirming this is a rolling profile rather than one continuous uphill. Those brief descents and false flats break your rhythm, so the challenge is as much about managing effort across changing pitches as it is about raw vertical.

Pacing Notes

Because the climb is short and undulating, the temptation is to hammer every ramp. Resist it. On a 10.6 km effort with a 3.95% average, your winning move is to keep power steady through the flatter sections and only lift the effort on the pitches nearing 10.09%. Anchor your pacing to your FTP: on the shallow parts, ride comfortably below threshold and let the road do some of the work; save your matches for the ramps where staying seated and turning a smooth cadence pays off.

If you are unsure of your threshold number, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then set a ceiling you can hold for the full 10.6 km without blowing up on the steepest section.

Gearing

The 3.95% average is easy to over-gear for. A compact 34-tooth inner ring paired with a 34×32 cassette will cover most of the climb comfortably, letting you spin the flatter kilometres and stay on top of the gear when the road tips up. If you carry a bit more weight, prefer a higher cadence, or want insurance against the 10.09% ramps late in the effort, step up to a 34×34. That extra sprocket keeps your legs turning over on the steepest pitches so a single hard ramp does not force you out of the saddle and into the red.

Summary

The Collado de la Amacolla is a deceptively spiky category 3 climb: short at 10.6 km, gentle on average at 3.95%, but with ramps to 10.09% and a rolling profile that makes clean pacing the real test. Ride the flats within yourself, gear appropriately, and the 419 m of gain arrives sooner than the profile suggests.

Length: 10.6 km
Average gradient: 3.95%
Max gradient: 10.09%
Start: 506 m
Summit: 925 m
Net gain: 419 m
Total ascent: 403 m
Category: 3