Puerto de la Marta

Overview

Puerto de la Marta is a Category 1 climb that packs a punishing amount of vertical into a short span. Over 9.3 km the road lifts you from 230 m at the base to a 1059 m summit — a net gain of 829 m. That works out to an average gradient of 8.89%, a figure that tells you almost everything you need to know: there is no valley reprieve, no rolling middle, no bailout. From the first pedal stroke to the last, this is a sustained effort at a gradient most riders can only hold for a fraction of an hour. The 14.05% maximum confirms that the average is not the whole story — there are stretches noticeably steeper than the mean.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An 8.89% average across 9.3 km is relentless by definition, but the shape matters. With a max of 14.05%, the steepest ramps sit roughly 5.16 percentage points above the average, meaning the climb pulses between merely hard and genuinely severe. The total ascent of 812 m sits just 17 m below the net gain of 829 m, which confirms there is essentially no descending or flat recovery along the way — the road climbs almost continuously. Expect the gradient to bite hardest where the max lives, forcing you well out of any comfortable rhythm, then ease back toward the high-eight-percent baseline that still offers no real rest. Treat every kilometre as work.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this uniform, pacing discipline wins. The average of 8.89% over 9.3 km means the whole ascent likely sits at or above your threshold, so anchor your effort to your FTP rather than to how you feel in the opening minutes — the temptation to overcook the lower slopes is what blows riders up before the 1059 m summit. If you do not know your threshold number, run it through the FTP estimator first and set a ceiling you can defend for the full 829 m of climbing. Meter yourself so the 14.05% ramps cost you watts you have budgeted for, not watts you have borrowed against the rest of the climb.

Gearing

With an 8.89% average and pitches to 14.05%, gearing is not a place to be brave. A compact 34-tooth inner ring is the sensible starting point. Pair it with at least a 34×32 for the sustained grind, and if you have the range, a 34×34 is the smarter choice on the steepest sections — the extra sprocket buys cadence exactly where the 14.05% max would otherwise drag you into a grind. Spinning a lower gear over 9.3 km preserves your legs far better than muscling a bigger one.

Summary

Puerto de la Marta is a concentrated, no-excuses Category 1 ascent: 9.3 km of sustained 8.89% climbing that gains 829 m and tops out at 1059 m. Pace to your threshold, gear low, and respect the ramps.

Length: 9.3 km
Average gradient: 8.89%
Max gradient: 14.05%
Start: 230 m
Summit: 1059 m
Net gain: 829 m
Total ascent: 812 m
Category: 1