Collado de La Foradada

Overview

Collado de La Foradada is a category 3 climb in Spain (ES), running 7.7 km from a start elevation of 634 m to a summit at 1003 m. On paper that is a net elevation gain of 369 m at an average gradient of 4.82% — the kind of number that reads as a steady tempo effort. The category and the length put it firmly in the range of a sustained mid-length climb rather than a short punchy wall.

The stat worth flagging is the gap between net gain and total work done. The road only lifts you 369 m from bottom to top, but the total ascent is 644 m. That extra 275 m of climbing comes from undulation — descents and false flats along the way that you have to reclimb. The effort is therefore harder than the net figure implies, because you pay for gradient you never keep. Expect the profile to break rhythm rather than reward a single locked-in cadence.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 4.82% average is a blend, not a description. With 644 m of total ascent packed around a 369 m net gain, the climb rises, dips, and rises again, so the true climbing pitches are steeper than the average suggests.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or drops, contributing to the 275 m of reclimbed elevation.
• Repeated short climbs stacked between those dips, each one resetting your rhythm.
• A markedly steeper ramp that pushes well above the average and demands the effort be metered, not attacked.

Pacing Notes

On an undulating profile like this, chasing even speed is a trap: you overspend on the steep ramps to hold a number and then coast the descents where the time is cheap. Pace on even effort instead. Hold a steady sustainable power output through the climbing pitches, let your speed rise on the flatter and downhill sections, and refuse to bury yourself matching a target pace on the steepest ramp. Because the 275 m of reclaimed ascent is where most riders leak energy, knowing your ceiling matters — run the FTP estimator beforehand so your effort on the steep sections stays under threshold rather than over it.

Gearing

Gear for the steepest ramp, not the 4.82% average. This climb has pitches well above its mean, so a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline — something in the region of 34×32 or 34×34 to keep cadence up when the road kicks. That low gear also protects your legs across the repeated short climbs, letting you spin rather than grind each reset. Check your setup before the ride: confirm the cassette and chainset you have actually deliver that low ratio, because there is no fixing it on the ramp.

Summary

• Length: 7.7 km
• Average gradient: 4.82%
• Net elevation gain: 369 m
• Total ascent: 644 m
• Category: 3

Collado de La Foradada is a climb that rewards restraint over aggression. The friendly average masks steep ramps and 275 m of hidden reclimbing, so pace on even effort, gear for the steepest section, and let the flatter stretches do the recovery work for you.