Puerto de la Horca

Overview

Puerto de la Horca is a category-2 climb that runs for 12.6 km, lifting you from a start elevation of 328 m to a summit at 907 m. On paper the numbers read gently: a 4.58% average gradient and a net elevation gain of 579 m over that distance. But averages lie, and this climb hides a sting. The total ascent of 581 m sits only a couple of metres above the net gain, which tells you the road climbs almost relentlessly upward rather than rolling — there is very little false descent to give the legs a break. What the average conceals is a maximum gradient of 30.48%, a wall-like pitch that turns an otherwise steady ascent into a climb you have to respect.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The gap between the 4.58% average and the 30.48% maximum is the whole story here. A climb that gained 579 m evenly over 12.6 km would feel like a long, honest grind at a fixed tempo. Puerto de la Horca is not that. Because total ascent (581 m) barely exceeds net gain (579 m), the route almost never gives elevation back — you are effectively always climbing. That means the gentle-sounding average is diluted by nowhere, so the steep sections must be balanced by pitches shallower than 4.58%. Expect long stretches you can spin through, punctuated by ramps that spike far above the mean, culminating in the brutal 30.48% pitch that will have you out of the saddle and grinding.

Pacing Notes

The trap on a climb like this is spending too much matchbook early on the shallow stretches, then arriving at the steep ramps already cooked. Anchor your effort to your FTP: ride the sub-average sections a touch below threshold to bank energy for the pitches that spike toward 30.48%. Over 12.6 km and 579 m of gain, a disciplined tempo will beat a hero start every time. If you are not sure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan your pacing, then treat the steepest ramps as short over-threshold surges rather than sustainable efforts.

Gearing

Do not let the 4.58% average fool you into under-gearing. The 30.48% maximum pitch demands a bailout ratio you will be grateful for. A compact crankset paired with a wide-range cassette is the sensible baseline: 34×32 will get most riders up the steep sections turning a survivable cadence, but if you climb at a lower power-to-weight or want insurance for that 30.48% wall, step up to 34×34. Given a total ascent of 581 m with a genuinely savage ramp inside it, err toward the easier gear — spinning is far kinder to your legs across 12.6 km than mashing.

Summary

Puerto de la Horca is a deceptive category-2 climb: a friendly 4.58% average masking a 30.48% wall, with 579 m gained across 12.6 km of almost uninterrupted ascent. Gear low, pace to your threshold, and save something for the steep pitches.

Length: 12.6 km
Average gradient: 4.58%
Max gradient: 30.48%
Start: 328 m
Summit: 907 m
Net gain: 579 m
Total ascent: 581 m
Category: 2