Collado de las Yeguas

Overview

Collado de las Yeguas is a category 2 climb in Spain, running 7.2 km from a start elevation of 565 m to a summit at 1067 m. The net elevation gain is 502 m, which over the full length produces an average gradient of 7.01%. That is a serious, sustained pitch for a climb of this length, and the category rating is earned rather than nominal.

The gap between the numbers is where the real story sits. Net gain is 502 m, but total ascent is 638 m, meaning you actually climb 136 m more than the summit-minus-start figure suggests. That 136 m of extra vertical comes from short descents and rises along the way, and every metre you give back has to be reclaimed. In effort terms, the climb is harder than its 502 m net gain implies, because the descending sections break your rhythm and force you to re-accelerate against gravity repeatedly.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 7.01% average is a blend, not a constant. The 136 m of undulation means flatter and downhill stretches are dragging the average down, which mathematically requires steeper ramps elsewhere to compensate. The steepest recorded pitch hits 17.05% — more than double the average — so the hard sections are genuinely hard.

• Recovery or flatter sections where the road eases and briefly descends, accounting for part of the difference between 502 m net gain and 638 m total ascent
• Repeated short climbs that follow those dips, each one requiring you to rebuild speed
• A maximum ramp of 17.05%, the pitch that will define your lowest gear and your hardest few minutes

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, even-speed pacing is a trap. Holding a constant speed forces your power to spike on every steep ramp and collapse on the flatter dips, burning matches you cannot get back. Pace to even effort instead: let your speed rise on the shallow sections and fall on the steep ones while keeping your output near your sustainable power output.

Anchor your ceiling before the ride. Know your threshold — the FTP estimator will give you a working number — and treat the 17.05% ramp as the one place you are allowed to briefly exceed it, then settle back down.

Gearing

The 17.05% maximum gradient dictates your setup, not the 7.01% average. At that pitch, a standard chainset will have you grinding at low cadence and high torque. Run a compact (34-tooth inner) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 low gear gives you the range to spin the steepest ramp rather than muscle it. Check your chainset and cassette before you ride; the summit of this climb is a bad place to discover you are over-geared.

Summary

• Length: 7.2 km
• Average gradient: 7.01%
• Maximum gradient: 17.05%
• Net elevation gain: 502 m
• Total ascent: 638 m
• Category: 2

Collado de las Yeguas is a category 2 climb that rides tougher than its net gain suggests. Respect the undulation, pace to effort, gear for the 17.05% ramp, and the 638 m of total climbing will come to you in manageable pieces.