Colláu de Ralla de Alano

Overview

Colláu de Ralla de Alano is a long, patient category 1 climb that asks for endurance rather than explosive power. Across its full 23.4 km you gain 1158 m of net elevation, starting at 768 m and topping out at 1926 m. The average gradient of 4.94% sounds gentle on paper, and in isolation any single ramp probably is — but strung together over more than twenty kilometres, that steady drag becomes the entire challenge. This is a climb you settle into for the better part of an hour, not one you attack.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is length. At 23.4 km, Colláu de Ralla de Alano is longer than most riders' typical climbing efforts, and the 4.94% average means the road rarely lets you fully recover on the way up. With a net gain of 1158 m against a total ascent of 1153 m, there is essentially no false-flat relief or descending built into the profile — almost every metre you climb, you keep. That consistency is a double-edged sword: no vicious ramps to fear, but no coasting either. Expect a grade that hovers around the mid-single digits and simply refuses to relent as you work from 768 m toward the 1926 m summit. Altitude compounds the effort in the final third, where the thinner air near 1926 m makes the same gradient feel heavier than it did lower down.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, discipline beats bravado. Your FTP is the single most useful reference point for pacing 23.4 km of sustained effort — aim to ride the bulk of the climb comfortably below threshold so you have something left for the higher, thinner-aired final kilometres. If you do not know your number, run the FTP estimator before you go, then translate it into a target power or heart-rate ceiling. Because the 4.94% average is so even, small pacing errors accumulate over the full 1158 m of climbing. Start too hard and the last third near 1926 m will punish you; start conservatively and you can lift the effort once the summit is genuinely in reach.

Gearing

For a 23.4 km climb at 4.94%, prioritise a spinnable low gear over a race-stiff setup. A compact 34-tooth front paired with a 34×32 will cover most riders comfortably at this average gradient. If your legs fade over long durations, or you expect to arrive at the 1926 m summit already fatigued, step up to a 34×34 for extra insurance — that lower ratio lets you keep a high cadence deep into the effort and protects your knees across the sustained 1158 m of ascent.

Summary

Colláu de Ralla de Alano rewards patience: a long, even category 1 climb where steady pacing and a spinny gear matter far more than raw punch. Respect the distance, ride within yourself, and the 1926 m summit comes to you.

Length: 23.4 km
Average gradient: 4.94%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 768 m
Summit: 1926 m
Net gain: 1158 m
Total ascent: 1153 m
Category: 1