Degollada de Aguasabina

Overview

The Degollada de Aguasabina is not a climb you ride into gently. Over just 5.5 km it drags you from a near sea-level start at 12 m up to a 718 m summit, a net gain of 706 m packed into a stretch most riders could jog around in under an hour on foot. That works out to an average gradient of 12.89%, which alone earns it the hors catégorie (HC) label — the hardest rung on the scale, sitting above categories 1 through 4. When a climb averages nearly 13% across its full length, there is no hiding place, and the 28.04% maximum gradient confirms that the worst of it is genuinely savage.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Think of this climb as a sustained assault rather than a series of distinct pitches. A 12.89% average means the road rarely relents; even the "easy" sections are steep by any normal standard. The total ascent of 677 m is slightly less than the 706 m net gain difference implies — a reminder that the profile is almost relentlessly upward, with virtually nothing given back in false flat or descent along the way.

The defining feature is that 28.04% spike. A ramp more than double the average gradient will stall momentum instantly, so the challenge is less about a single wall and more about arriving at it with enough left to survive. Expect the steepest ground to arrive when your legs are already loaded from the opening kilometres.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep, pacing is really power management. Your sustainable effort here should sit close to your threshold, so knowing your FTP is the difference between a controlled ascent and blowing up before the summit. If you are not sure where your number sits, run it through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target.

Because the average is 12.89%, you will spend most of the climb well above your comfortable cadence. Resist the urge to match anyone else's early pace — the 28.04% section punishes riders who arrive already redlined. Ride the opening at a wattage you could hold to the 718 m summit, then dig into your reserves only once the gradient stops rising.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. For an HC climb averaging 12.89% with pitches to 28.04%, a compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible floor. A 34×32 is the minimum I would recommend, and even then only strong climbers will spin it cleanly through the steepest ramp. Most riders will be far happier on a 34×34, which keeps cadence alive where the road tips past 28%. If your bike accepts anything larger at the back, use it — nobody has ever regretted an extra sprocket on a wall this steep.

Summary

The Degollada de Aguasabina is a short, uncompromising HC test: 5.5 km at 12.89% average, topping out at 28.04%, hauling you 706 m upward to a 718 m summit. Gear low, pace to threshold, and respect the ramp.

Length: 5.5 km
Average gradient: 12.89%
Max gradient: 28.04%
Start: 12 m
Summit: 718 m
Net gain: 706 m
Total ascent: 677 m
Category: HC