Collado de Marichiva

Overview

Collado de Marichiva is a Category 1 climb that asks a real question of your legs. Over 10.5 km it averages 7.4%, lifting you from a start elevation of 1032 m to a 1806 m summit. That is 774 m of net elevation gain, with a recorded total ascent of 760 m — a near-continuous drag rather than a rolling profile. The 7.4% average never lets you settle, and a maximum pitch of 16.69% guarantees at least one moment where the road turns properly cruel. This is a climb where honest pacing beats bravado every time.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline is consistency. With 774 m of net gain packed into 10.5 km, the average gradient of 7.4% is not a smoothed-out figure hiding flat spells — it reflects sustained effort from bottom to top. Expect long stretches sitting right around that 7.4% mark, punctuated by steeper ramps that build toward the 16.69% maximum. The small gap between net gain (774 m) and total ascent (760 m) tells you there is almost no descending or false-flat relief inside the climb: what you gain, you keep. Treat the first two-thirds as the sustainable body of the effort and save something for the steepest kicks near the upper slopes, where that 16.69% pitch will find any weakness in your rhythm.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steady, pacing is everything. A 10.5 km effort at 7.4% is comfortably a threshold-length climb for most riders, so anchor your intensity to your sustainable power rather than heart rate, which lags on sustained grades. Aim to ride the bulk of the climb just at or slightly below your FTP, leaving headroom for the 16.69% ramps that will briefly spike your power well above threshold. Blow past your limit early and the relentless 7.4% average will collect the debt with interest before the 1806 m summit. If you are unsure of your number, run the FTP estimator first and set realistic target watts for the 10.5 km. The goal is to crest with your effort evenly spread, not to survive the final kilometres in the red.

Gearing

Given a 7.4% average and pitches to 16.69%, gear for the steep bits, not the average. A compact crankset paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline here. A 34×32 will cover most of the sustained 7.4% gradient at a workable cadence, but the 16.69% maximum is where riders regret running out of sprockets. If your knees or your legs will be fatigued across the full 10.5 km, a 34×34 buys you the extra spin to keep turning smoothly through the hardest ramps. Err toward the easier setup: on a Category 1 climb of this length, cadence preservation is what keeps the 774 m of climbing manageable.

Summary

Collado de Marichiva rewards riders who respect the numbers. It is a steady, sustained Category 1 ascent — long enough to punish a bad start, steep enough at the top to end a strong day. Pace to your threshold, gear generously, and let the consistent 7.4% do the work at your rhythm, not its own.

Length: 10.5 km
Average gradient: 7.4%
Max gradient: 16.69%
Start: 1032 m
Summit: 1806 m
Net gain: 774 m
Total ascent: 760 m
Category: 1