Collado del Paujal

Overview

Collado del Paujal is a Category 1 climb in Spain (ES). It runs for 13.4 km, starting at 498 m and topping out at a summit elevation of 1378 m, for a net elevation gain of 880 m. At an average gradient of 6.55%, it sits firmly in the range where a climb is long enough to matter to your whole day but steep enough that you cannot simply ride through it.

The number to watch is the gap between net gain and total ascent. You climb 880 m net, but the total ascent is 1323 m — 443 m more. That difference means the road gives back roughly 443 m of descent along the way, so this is not a single clean gradient but an undulating profile. Every metre you lose to a dip is a metre you have to re-climb, and those repeated efforts cost more than a steady drag of the same average would.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 6.55% average is a blend, not a constant. Undulation of this size hides both easier valleys and pitches well above the mean, so treat the average as a planning figure only.

• Flatter or descending recovery sections where the road gives back elevation
• Repeated short climbs that re-take the ground you just lost
• Ramps noticeably steeper than 6.55% where the real work happens
• A steepest section that spikes well into double figures — the pitch that decides your gearing

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb, even-effort beats even-speed. Chasing a constant speed forces you to over-cook the ramps and coast the dips, torching matches you need later. Instead, hold a steady sustainable power output target and let your speed rise and fall with the gradient — faster on the shallow parts, slower on the steep ones, same effort throughout. On the recovery sections, resist the urge to push; use them to shed lactate before the next ramp. Anchor your target to a tested number rather than feel — run the FTP estimator beforehand and set a percentage of that you can defend for the full 13.4 km.

Gearing

Gearing here is governed by the steepest ramp, not the average. Come with a compact or sub-compact chainset and a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 low gear gives you the spinning range to keep cadence up when the road pitches hardest, instead of grinding out of the saddle and blowing up. Check your setup before the ride: confirm the cassette and chainset you think you have are actually on the bike, and that the rear derailleur handles the largest sprocket cleanly.

Summary

• Length: 13.4 km
• Average gradient: 6.55%
• Net elevation gain: 880 m
• Total ascent: 1323 m
• Category: 1

Collado del Paujal is a Category 1 climb that rewards discipline. Pace it on power, gear it for the steepest ramp, and respect the 443 m of extra ascent hidden in its undulation, and the 880 m to the 1378 m summit will come in under control.