Collado de Pelea

Overview

Collado de Pelea is not a climb you negotiate — it is one you survive. Over just 6.4 km it averages a ferocious 13.99%, a number that would be the maximum pitch on many ordinary ascents. From a start elevation of 104 m it hauls you all the way to a 1000 m summit, a net gain of 896 m packed into barely six kilometres of road. That combination of brevity and brutality is exactly why it carries an HC rating — hors catégorie, the classification reserved for the hardest climbs on the map. There is nowhere to coast, nowhere to spin out and recover; the average gradient alone tells you the whole climb is a wall.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining figure here is the gap between the 13.99% average and the 25.71% maximum. On a gentler climb an average this high would be impossible without long flat stretches to offset the steep bits — but here there are none. Instead the road pulses between "very steep" and "brutally steep," with the worst ramp touching 25.71%, more than eleven points above an already punishing mean. Expect the gradient to rarely dip into single digits. When the pitch does briefly ease, it is toward the average, not away from it, so even the "recovery" is a sustained double-digit grind. The total ascent of 865 m sits just below the 896 m net gain, confirming the climb goes almost relentlessly upward with no meaningful descents to break the rhythm.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep, pacing is everything — go too hard on the opening ramps and the 25.71% sections later will end your day. Anchor your effort to your FTP and accept that on a 13.99% average you will spend long stretches above threshold simply because you cannot gear low enough to stay under it. If you do not know your threshold number, run it through the FTP estimator before you go, then ride the lower ramps conservatively and save something for the steepest pitches. Cadence will fall; that is normal on a wall like this. Prioritise smooth, consistent power over heroics on any single ramp.

Gearing

Bring the easiest gearing you own. For a climb averaging 13.99% with ramps to 25.71%, a compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette is the minimum sensible setup. A 34×32 is the floor — enough for strong climbers who can hold high power — but most riders will be grateful for a 34×34, and anyone who can fit an even larger sprocket should. Under-gearing here does not just slow you down; on a 25.71% ramp it can leave you unable to turn the pedals at all. Err toward more range than you think you need.

Summary

Collado de Pelea is a short, savage HC test that trades length for sheer, unrelenting steepness — 6.4 km that feel like a fight from bottom to top.

Length: 6.4 km
Average gradient: 13.99%
Max gradient: 25.71%
Start: 104 m
Summit: 1000 m
Net gain: 896 m
Total ascent: 865 m
Category: HC