Puerto de Arrebatacapas, Cáceres

Overview

Puerto de Arrebatacapas is a Category 3 climb in Cáceres, Spain, running 13.5 km from a start elevation of 486 m to a summit at 918 m. Over that distance it delivers a net elevation gain of 432 m at an average gradient of 3.19%. On paper that average reads as a steady, moderate drag rather than a wall, and the climb's length is what earns its category more than its steepness.

The number that matters most here is the gap between the net gain and the total ascent. You gain 432 m in elevation but climb 532 m in total, meaning roughly 100 m of the ascent is spent re-climbing ground lost to descents and dips along the way. That undulation is why the 3.19% average understates the effort: you never settle into one long, uniform grade, and every recovered metre of descent has to be paid back.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 3.19% across 13.5 km tells you almost nothing about how the climb actually rides. The 100 m of extra ascent has to come from somewhere, and it shows up as false flats, short descents, and repeated pitches that spike well above the average. The steepest ramp reaches 14.39%, roughly four and a half times the average gradient, so the hard efforts are brief but sharp.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road dips or levels, dropping the effort well below average
• Repeated short climbs that force you back onto the pedals after each dip
• A steepest ramp of 14.39% that demands a distinct gear change and a harder push

Pacing Notes

Because this climb undulates, chasing an even speed is a trap. Holding a fixed pace forces you to overspend on every ramp and coast through every flat, spiking your effort exactly where it costs the most. Instead, pace to an even effort: keep your sustainable power output steady and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain. Push a touch harder to carry momentum into the descents and dips, ease back before the 14.39% ramp bites, and treat the flatter recovery sections as genuine recovery rather than places to accelerate.

If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first so your target on the steep pitches is grounded in real data, not guesswork.

Gearing

The steepest gradient governs your gearing choice, and 14.39% is steep enough that you want a bailout gear ready. Run a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 low gear gives you room to spin the sharp ramps without grinding your cadence into the ground. Check your setup before the ride: confirm the cassette and chainset you are on can actually reach that low gear, because a ramp near 14% is not the place to discover you are over-geared.

Summary

• Length: 13.5 km
• Average gradient: 3.19%
• Maximum gradient: 14.39%
• Net elevation gain: 432 m
• Total ascent: 532 m
• Category: 3

Puerto de Arrebatacapas rewards riders who read the profile rather than the average. Pace to effort, keep a low gear in reserve for the 14.39% ramp, and let the undulation work for you instead of against you.