Collao Muriosa

Overview

Collao Muriosa is a long, sustained category 1 climb that rewards patience over punch. Over 19.2 km it lifts you from a base of 462 m to a summit at 1569 m — a net gain of 1107 m and a total ascent of 1145 m once you account for the small dips along the way. The average gradient sits at 5.76%, a number that reads as steady but conceals real bite: at its steepest the road ramps to 15.77%. This is a climb where the clock matters as much as the incline, and where riders who blow their effort early will pay for it deep into the second half.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The gap between the 5.76% average and the 15.77% maximum tells the story of Collao Muriosa's shape. This is not a metronomic climb; it breathes. Long stretches near or just below the average let you find a rhythm, then the road pitches up sharply, forcing you out of the saddle before easing again. Because total ascent (1145 m) exceeds the net gain (1107 m), there are moments where the gradient relaxes or briefly kicks downward — small recoveries that break the climb into digestible blocks. Treat those flatter sections as places to eat, drink, and reset your cadence rather than places to attack.

Pacing Notes

At 19.2 km, this is an effort measured in tens of minutes, so pacing to your sustainable power is everything. Aim to hold a percentage of your FTP that you can defend for the full climb rather than the opening kilometres. A good target for most riders is to sit just below threshold on the steady 5.76% sections and accept short surges above it only on the 15.77% ramps, where staying seated may not be an option. If you don't know your threshold number yet, run your recent data through the FTP estimator before you plan your splits. The single biggest mistake here is going out too hard on the lower slopes and having nothing left when the steep pitches arrive.

Gearing

With 1107 m of climbing packed into 19.2 km and ramps hitting 15.77%, gearing generosity pays dividends. A compact 34-tooth inner ring is the sensible starting point. Paired with a 34×32, most fit riders will keep a workable cadence on the average grades and survive the steep sections with effort. If you climb at lower cadence, weigh a lot of fatigue by the top, or simply want insurance, a 34×34 buys you a meaningfully easier lowest gear for those 15.77% pitches. On a climb this long, a bailout gear you never need beats grinding to a stall on a wall you didn't see coming.

Summary

Collao Muriosa is a proper endurance climb: long, varied, and demanding measured pacing over heroics. Respect the average, prepare for the maximum, gear low, and it becomes one of the more satisfying category 1 ascents you can log.

Length: 19.2 km
Average gradient: 5.76%
Max gradient: 15.77%
Start: 462 m
Summit: 1569 m
Net gain: 1107 m
Total ascent: 1145 m
Category: 1