Colma del Crinco

Overview

Colma del Crinco is a full hors-catégorie climb, and the numbers make no apology for it. Over 11.4 km the road drags you from a start elevation of 209 m up to a summit at 1182 m, a net gain of 973 m. The average gradient sits at a punishing 8.54%, which is not a figure that flatters itself — there are no long false-flats hiding in that mean, because an 8.54% average over 11.4 km leaves very little room for recovery. This is a climb you respect from the bottom or one that breaks you by the top.

How the Gradient Unfolds

With a total ascent of 959 m recorded against a net gain of 973 m, the road climbs almost monotonically — there is barely 14 m of give-back across the entire 11.4 km, meaning you rarely, if ever, stop pedalling uphill. That relentlessness is the defining feature of the climb's shape. The average of 8.54% tells you the sustained load, but the max gradient of 16.03% marks where the road bites hardest. Expect the toughest ramps to spike to nearly double the average, forcing you out of rhythm and into damage control. Between those spikes, the gradient rarely relaxes below the average for long, so the mental game is accepting that "easier" here still means grinding at high single digits.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this sustained, pacing is everything. The single biggest mistake is chasing the early ramps and blowing your matches before the halfway mark. Anchor your effort to your FTP and hold a steady, repeatable power rather than surging on every steep pitch. At 8.54% average for 11.4 km, you are looking at a sustained threshold-adjacent effort, so ride the flatter-than-average stretches at a controlled tempo and save your reserves for the 16.03% ramps where staying seated and spinning beats forcing a huge gear. If you are not sure what power you can hold, run the numbers first with the FTP estimator and set a ceiling you can actually sustain to the summit at 1182 m.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. With a sustained 8.54% and pitches to 16.03%, most riders will want the lowest ratio they can bolt on. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette is a sensible baseline for strong climbers, giving you a bailout for the steepest ramps without spinning out on the average grade. If you climb closer to threshold or carry any extra weight, step up to 34×34 for that extra margin — on 973 m of near-continuous ascent, the ability to keep cadence high on the 16.03% sections will preserve your legs far more than muscling a bigger gear ever will.

Summary

Colma del Crinco is an honest HC climb: long, steep, and almost without respite. Ride it within yourself, gear low, and let the average of 8.54% do its slow work rather than fighting it early.

Length: 11.4 km
Average gradient: 8.54%
Max gradient: 16.03%
Start: 209 m
Summit: 1182 m
Net gain: 973 m
Total ascent: 959 m
Category: HC