La Varga

Overview

La Varga is a category 2 climb that asks for patience more than raw explosiveness. Over 14.3 km it lifts you from a start elevation of 298 m to a summit at 1012 m, a net elevation gain of 714 m. The average gradient reads a steady 4.98%, which places it firmly in the long-tempo bracket: not a wall, but far too long to bluff your way over. The category 2 label is honest here. This is a climb where the clock and the accumulated metres do the damage, not any single hairpin.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline average of 4.98% hides the real character of La Varga. With a total ascent of 695 m spread across the full 14.3 km, most of the road sits in that sustainable single-digit range where you can hold a rhythm. But the max gradient of 16.94% tells you the profile is not uniform. Expect the road to lull you into a cadence and then bite with short, sharp ramps that spike well above the average before easing again. The gap between the 4.98% mean and the 16.94% peak is where the climb is won or lost: bury yourself on a steep pitch early and the remaining kilometres to 1012 m will feel far longer than they are. Read the road ahead, and treat every steep section as a temporary tax rather than a new baseline.

Pacing Notes

Because La Varga is long and only moderately steep on average, pace it against your sustainable power rather than feel. Aim to sit just under threshold on the flatter tempo sections and allow yourself to drift over FTP only on the steepest ramps, where staying seated and spinning costs less than grinding. If you do not know your threshold yet, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you start, then set a ceiling and hold it. The 714 m of gain from 298 m to 1012 m rewards riders who bank nothing on the early slopes. Keep something in reserve for the pitches near 16.94% and you will crest with the field rather than crawling to it.

Gearing

For a 14.3 km climb averaging 4.98% with ramps to 16.94%, prioritise a low gear over a big one. A compact 34-tooth inner ring is the sensible starting point. Pair it with at least a 34×32 to keep your cadence civil on the sustained middle section. If you are a lighter-powered rider, carry less muscle, or expect to be tired by the upper slopes near 1012 m, go one step easier with a 34×34 so those 16.94% ramps stay a spin rather than a lunge. Losing a gear you needed on a climb this long is far more costly than carrying one you rarely use.

Summary

La Varga is a fair, honest category 2 test: long enough to demand real pacing, steep enough in places to punish greed. Respect the ramps, meter your effort against threshold, and the 714 m to the summit will come to you.

Length: 14.3 km
Average gradient: 4.98%
Max gradient: 16.94%
Start: 298 m
Summit: 1012 m
Net gain: 714 m
Total ascent: 695 m
Category: 2