Ezkurra mountain pass

Overview

Ezkurra mountain pass is a Category 4 climb in Spain, running 7.1 km from a start elevation of 440 m to a summit of 684 m. On paper that is a net elevation gain of 244 m, a modest figure that places it firmly at the shorter, easier end of the categorized-climb scale. The average gradient of 3.43% reinforces that first impression: this reads like a rolling approach rather than a wall.

The numbers hide something, though. The total ascent over those 7.1 km is 532 m — more than double the 244 m of net gain. That 288 m gap means the road climbs, gives some of it back, and climbs again. You are riding an undulating profile, not a steady drag, so the effort is spikier than the average gradient suggests. Every metre you descend mid-climb is a metre you have to re-earn.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 3.43% average is an artifact of that undulation. Average gradient over a rolling road blends the descents and the flats into the climbing sections, flattening a jagged reality into a single tame number. The real story is in the spikes: the steepest ramp hits 14.49%, more than four times the average, and that pitch is where the climb is won or lost.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or tips slightly downhill — use them, don't coast mindlessly.
• Repeated short climbs stacked back to back, which is what turns 244 m of net gain into 532 m of total ascent.
• One standout ramp at 14.49% — the hardest single stretch, likely short but sharp enough to spike your heart rate.

Pacing Notes

On a smooth climb you can hold even effort and let speed drift. On Ezkurra, even effort and even speed diverge hard because of the undulation. Chase a constant speed and you will overcook the 14.49% ramp and freewheel the descents — the worst of both. Instead, pace to a steady sustainable power output: push a touch harder up the steep pitches, ease back on the false flats, and refuse to hammer the descents. Know your ceiling before you start — run the numbers through the FTP estimator so your target on the ramps is grounded, not guessed.

Gearing

The average gradient is irrelevant for gear choice; the 14.49% maximum governs it. Bring a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you a bailout cog for that steepest ramp so you can spin rather than grind and blow up. Check your setup before the ride: confirm the cassette you think is on the bike is actually there, and that the derailleur handles the large sprocket cleanly.

Summary

• Length: 7.1 km
• Average gradient: 3.43%
• Maximum gradient: 14.49%
• Net elevation gain: 244 m
• Total ascent: 532 m
• Category: 4

Ezkurra is a Category 4 climb that plays harder than its average. Respect the 14.49% ramp, pace to power through the undulation, and it rewards a rider who reads the profile rather than the number.