Elorritxueta

Overview

Elorritxueta is a 9.5 km category 3 climb that lifts you from a start elevation of just 4 m to a summit at 410 m. On paper the 4.27% average gradient reads as gentle, and for long sections it is. But an average is a smoothed-out story, and this one hides a 12.6% maximum that tells you the real work is concentrated rather than spread evenly. Over the full 9.5 km you take on 406 m of net elevation gain, while the total ascent — the sum of every upward metre including small dips and recoveries — comes to 388 m. That the total ascent sits slightly below the net gain points to an almost relentlessly upward road: there is very little descending to give back what you have earned.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Think of Elorritxueta as a climb of two personalities living inside one number. The 4.27% average is what your legs feel across the whole 9.5 km, but the 12.6% max is the pitch that will define how you remember it. Because the total ascent (388 m) is so close to the net gain (406 m), the profile is best imagined as a steady, near-continuous drag punctuated by one or more sharp kicks. Expect long stretches where you settle into a rhythm below the average, then a lurch upward where the road bites toward that 12.6% figure. The gap between the mellow average and the steep maximum is roughly 8.33 percentage points — that spread is the whole game here.

Pacing Notes

The trap on a climb like this is going out on the shallow lower slopes and paying for it when the gradient jumps. Anchor your effort to your FTP rather than to how easy the first kilometres feel. A climb averaging 4.27% over 9.5 km is long enough that a few percent over threshold early will cost you far more than it saves. Aim to ride the flatter sections just under threshold so you have headroom when the road tilts toward 12.6%, where power naturally spikes. If you are unsure of your number, run the FTP estimator first and set your target watts before you start climbing.

Gearing

For 9.5 km at 4.27% with a 12.6% maximum, err toward more range than you think you need. A compact chainring paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline: a 34×32 will cover most of the climb comfortably, letting you spin the steady sections without grinding. But on the steepest pitch near 12.6% — especially late, with 406 m already in your legs — a 34×34 gives you the extra bailout gear to keep your cadence up instead of forcing a survival mash. If your bike accepts it, fit the 34×34 and enjoy the insurance.

Summary

Elorritxueta rewards patience: ride the shallow gradient with discipline, save your matches for the 12.6% ramps, and gear low enough to spin all 406 m of gain. It is a category 3 climb that plays longer than its average suggests.

Length: 9.5 km
Average gradient: 4.27%
Max gradient: 12.6%
Start: 4 m
Summit: 410 m
Net gain: 406 m
Total ascent: 388 m
Category: 3