Collado de Linza (Senda de Linza)

Overview

The Collado de Linza, reached by the Senda de Linza, is an HC climb that earns its rating the hard way. Over 15.6 km it averages 8.99% and gains 1404 m net, lifting you from a start elevation of 325 m to a summit at 1729 m. That average alone would define a hard day, but the max gradient of 22.41% tells you the road never settles into a comfortable rhythm. This is a long, sustained effort with real teeth — one of those climbs where the number on the profile and the number in your legs agree completely.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An 8.99% average across 15.6 km is relentless by any measure, but averages hide the story. With ramps reaching 22.41% — more than double the mean — the climb clearly stacks steeper walls between its flatter recoveries. The gap between the 8.99% average and that 22.41% peak is 13.42 percentage points, which is the difference between a gradient you can spin and one you have to survive.

Note also the split between net elevation gain and total ascent: 1404 m of net gain against 1304 m of total ascent. That relationship signals a climb that mostly points relentlessly upward, with little respite to reset your legs before the next pitch. Expect to spend long stretches out of the saddle or grinding a low cadence, punctuated by the steepest kicks. Read the road ahead — the ramps toward 22.41% are where races are lost.

Pacing Notes

The single biggest mistake on a climb like this is starting too hard. At 15.6 km, this is a sustained-power effort, so anchor your pace to your FTP rather than to how you feel in the opening kilometres — early adrenaline lies. A good target is to hold just under threshold on the average-gradient sections and accept that the 22.41% ramps will spike you well above it; the goal is to keep those spikes short and recover immediately after.

If you are not sure what your sustainable power is, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a plan. Knowing that ceiling turns the 1404 m of gain from a guess into a budget you can spend deliberately across the full 15.6 km.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. With an 8.99% average and pitches to 22.41%, you want a wide range and a bailout cog you will actually use. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette is the sensible baseline for strong climbers, giving you a low enough spin to hold cadence on the average slopes.

For most riders, though, the smart move is to go one step lower to 34×34. That extra cog is exactly what saves your knees and your composure when the road jumps toward 22.41% deep into a 15.6 km effort. The general rule: on an HC climb this long and this steep, err toward the easier gear — you can always leave it unused, but you cannot install it halfway up.

Summary

The Collado de Linza via the Senda de Linza is a true HC test: 15.6 km, an 8.99% average, and ramps to 22.41%, climbing 1404 m to a 1729 m summit. Pace to your threshold, gear low, and respect the steep pitches, and it becomes one of the most rewarding hard climbs you can put in your legs.

Length: 15.6 km
Average gradient: 8.99%
Max gradient: 22.41%
Start: 325 m
Summit: 1729 m
Net gain: 1404 m
Total ascent: 1304 m
Category: HC