Puerto de La Acebeda

Overview

Puerto de La Acebeda is a Category 2 road climb in Spain, running 12.1 km from a start elevation of 1080 m to a summit of 1685 m. That gives a net elevation gain of 605 m at an average gradient of 5%. On paper it reads as a steady, moderate ascent — the kind of length and grade you can settle into rather than survive.

The number that changes the picture is total ascent. The road gains 712 m of vertical over its length while only lifting you 605 m net — a 107 m gap. That difference is undulation: sections where the road dips or flattens and then climbs again. You pay for those 107 m twice, once on the way down and once on the way back up, so the effort is higher than the tidy 5% average suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 5% average across 12.1 km hides real variation. With 712 m of total ascent spread over 605 m of net gain, the climb is not one smooth ramp — it stacks pitches on top of recovery sections, and the steepest ramp hits 21.69%. Expect the effort to arrive in bursts rather than as a single grind.

• Flatter and false-flat sections where the grade drops well below 5% and lets you recover
• Repeated short climbs that reset your legs each time the road tilts up again
• At least one sharp ramp reaching 21.69% — brief, but enough to blow a pace you set on the average

Pacing Notes

Because this climb undulates, even-speed pacing is a trap: holding a constant km-per-hour forces you to spike power over every ramp and coast the recoveries, burning matches you cannot afford. Pace by even effort instead. Anchor your target to your sustainable power output and hold that number through the steep pitches, letting your speed rise on the flatter sections rather than pushing harder to keep the clock steady. If you do not know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator before you go so your effort target is grounded in real data, not guesswork. On the 21.69% ramp, accept the slowdown — spinning through it at effort beats forcing the pace and paying for it above.

Gearing

The 21.69% maximum ramp governs your setup. A standard chainset will leave you grinding at low, knee-loading cadence when the road kicks up. Fit a compact (34-tooth inner) or a sub-compact, and pair it with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 low gear gives you the range to keep spinning through the steepest pitch. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride; you do not want to discover you are undergeared halfway up.

Summary

• Length: 12.1 km
• Average gradient: 5%
• Maximum gradient: 21.69%
• Net elevation gain: 605 m
• Total ascent: 712 m
• Category: 2

Puerto de La Acebeda rewards riders who pace by effort and gear for the steepest ramp, not the average. Respect the 107 m of hidden re-climbing, hold a sustainable power target, and the 5% average becomes an ally rather than a lie.