el Portellàs

Overview

El Portellàs is a long, patient Category 1 climb that rewards diesel legs over explosive attacks. Over 19.4 km it lifts you from a start elevation of 395 m to a summit at 1397 m — a net gain of 1002 m, all of it earned on the road with a total ascent of 1002 m and no reprieve of descent to give it back. The headline average gradient is a steady 5.16%, which sounds gentle until you stack it against the distance: nearly twenty kilometres of continuous uphill is its own kind of hard. This is a climb of accumulation, not ambush.

How the Gradient Unfolds

At 5.16% average across 19.4 km, El Portellàs sits in the sweet spot where you can hold a rhythm but never fully relax. The defining number is the max gradient of 12.01% — more than double the average — which tells you the road is not uniform. Expect stretches that dip below the mean and let you breathe, offset by ramps that spike toward that 12.01% ceiling and force a hard reset of cadence. The gap between the 5.16% average and the 12.01% maximum is where this climb hides its bite. Ride the shallow sections with discipline and you will have something left for the steep ones. Spend too freely early, and the back half of those 1002 vertical metres will collect the debt with interest.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing is everything. The 19.4 km distance means small overexertions compound, so anchor your effort to your FTP rather than to how you feel in the first few kilometres. A sustainable target for most riders is a percentage of threshold you can defend for the full ascent — err conservative early, because there is no descent to recover on before the 1397 m summit. If you are unsure of your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then translate that into a power ceiling you refuse to exceed on the 12.01% ramps. Let the steep pitches raise your effort briefly, then settle straight back to your target on the flatter ground.

Gearing

With 1002 m of climbing spread over 19.4 km and ramps touching 12.01%, gearing is about protecting your cadence deep into the climb. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible starting point. A 34×32 will serve strong climbers who can turn a bigger gear on the steeper sections, but most riders will be grateful for the extra range of a 34×34, which keeps your legs spinning rather than grinding when fatigue sets in over the final kilometres. Given the sustained length here, err toward the easier 34×34 — you will never regret having a gear in reserve on a climb this long.

Summary

El Portellàs is a true test of sustained climbing: nearly twenty kilometres, a thousand metres of gain, and a steady grade punctuated by double-digit ramps. Pace it with your FTP, gear it for the long haul, and treat the whole 19.4 km as one continuous effort rather than a series of sprints.

Length: 19.4 km
Average gradient: 5.16%
Max gradient: 12.01%
Start: 395 m
Summit: 1397 m
Net gain: 1002 m
Total ascent: 1002 m
Category: 1