Puerto de Bujaruelo / Port de Boucharo

Overview

Puerto de Bujaruelo, known on the French side as Port de Boucharo, is an HC ascent that gives you almost nothing to hide behind. Across 10.8 km the road gains 1182 m of elevation, rising from a start of 1146 m to a summit at 2328 m. That works out to an average gradient of 10.97% — a figure that would be a peak segment on many climbs but here is the baseline you carry for the entire distance. HC is the top of the classification ladder, sitting above categories 1, 2, 3, and 4, and this climb earns it not through length but through sheer, sustained steepness.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number is that 10.97% average, because it means there is no easy half. On a climb this steep the average is not diluted by flat recovery; it is the temperature of the whole ride. The max gradient of 23.43% marks where the road more than doubles its already severe pitch, and passages like that will spike your effort well beyond anything sustainable. Note too that the total ascent of 1147 m sits just below the net gain of 1182 m — a difference of only 35 m — which tells you the road climbs almost monotonically. There are essentially no descents to reset your legs; every metre of the profile is pointed uphill.

Pacing Notes

On a wall like this, discipline in the opening kilometres decides the whole day. Your average power should sit at or just below your FTP, because with 10.8 km of 10.97% ahead, any early surge is borrowed against a debt you cannot repay on this profile. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a pace. Treat the 23.43% ramps as unavoidable spikes — accept the brief over-effort, then settle immediately back to your target once the pitch eases toward the 10.97% norm. Climbing 1182 m without recovery means fuelling and cadence management matter as much as raw watts.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. A 10.97% average sustained for 10.8 km, punctuated by pitches of 23.43%, punishes anyone spinning out of low ratios. A 34×32 is the sensible minimum for strong climbers, and even then the steepest ramps will have you grinding. For most riders a 34×34 is the smarter choice, buying you the cadence to keep the pedals turning through the 23.43% sections rather than lurching to a near-standstill. Gaining 1182 m at this gradient rewards a light, high-cadence approach far more than brute force.

Summary

Puerto de Bujaruelo / Port de Boucharo is a compact but merciless HC climb: short enough to size up, steep enough to break you. Respect the average, gear low, and pace from the first pedal stroke.

Length: 10.8 km
Average gradient: 10.97%
Max gradient: 23.43%
Start: 1146 m
Summit: 2328 m
Net gain: 1182 m
Total ascent: 1147 m
Category: HC