Collado la Llama

Overview

Collado la Llama is a category 1 climb that trades length for sheer, unrelenting steepness. In just 6.4 km it hauls you from 16 m at the base to a 573 m summit, a net gain of 557 m. The average gradient of 8.71% tells most of the story on its own: there is almost nowhere to sit up and recover. With a maximum pitch of 14.57% and a total ascent of 528 m packed into a short distance, this is a climb that rewards discipline and punishes anyone who starts too hard.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Do the arithmetic and the shape becomes clear. A 557 m net gain over 6.4 km already implies an average close to 8.71%, so this is not a climb built on a handful of vicious ramps separated by easy stretches — the difficulty is spread across almost every kilometre. When the road tilts to its 14.57% maximum, you are more than five percentage points above an already brutal average, so those pitches feel like a wall rather than a spike. Expect the gradient to hover in the high single digits for long stretches, with the steepest sections forcing you out of the saddle. There is little rhythm-breaking flat here: the summit at 573 m arrives only when you have paid the full 528 m of climbing.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this short, pacing is everything. The whole effort will likely sit near or above your threshold, so anchor your ride to your FTP and hold something in reserve for the 14.57% pitches, where power spikes are unavoidable. If you do not know your current number, run it through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. A good approach is to ride the first two-thirds slightly below your ceiling, then spend what is left over the final ramps. Because the average never lets up, going into the red early on Collado la Llama means a long, ugly grind to the top with no flat to bail you out.

Gearing

Gear low, then go lower. With an 8.71% average and 14.57% maximum over 6.4 km, a compact chainring is the starting point, not a luxury. A 34×32 is the minimum most riders should consider here, and it will still feel tall when the road hits its steepest. For all but the strongest climbers, a 34×34 is the smarter choice — the extra sprocket keeps your cadence up on the 14.57% sections and protects your knees over the full 557 m of climbing. If you can fit a wider-range cassette, do it; you will never regret spinning up a wall like this.

Summary

Collado la Llama is a compact, savage category 1 climb: 6.4 km that never eases, averaging 8.71% and spiking to 14.57% on the way to a 573 m summit. Respect the gradient, gear low, and pace off your threshold, and its 557 m of gain becomes a challenge you can savour rather than survive.

Length: 6.4 km
Average gradient: 8.71%
Max gradient: 14.57%
Start: 16 m
Summit: 573 m
Net gain: 557 m
Total ascent: 528 m
Category: 1