Puerto de los Lobos

Overview

Puerto de los Lobos is a long, gentle category-3 climb that trades brutal ramps for patient, sustained effort. Over 11.2 km it lifts you from a start elevation of 429 m to a summit of 765 m, a net gain of 336 m. The average gradient is a forgiving 3.01%, which places it firmly in the tempo-climb bracket rather than the leg-breaking category. With a total ascent of 328 m recorded on the profile, this is a climb defined by rhythm and distance more than by raw steepness. It rewards riders who can settle into a groove and hold it, and it punishes those who go out too hard early and find nothing left across the long middle kilometres.

How the Gradient Unfolds

Do not let the 3.01% average lull you into complacency. An average that low across 11.2 km almost always hides variety, and the headline number here is the 9.04% max gradient — a pitch more than three times steeper than the mean. That single figure tells the story: long stretches of easy false-flat and shallow drag are punctuated by a genuine ramp that will spike your heart rate if you are caught in the wrong gear. Expect the climb to feel like two efforts stitched together: extended low-percentage grades where you can carry momentum, and a short, sharp section near that 9.04% pinch where the road stands up and demands you actually climb. Riding it well is about anticipating that transition rather than reacting to it.

Pacing Notes

Because the climb is long and mostly shallow, this is an FTP-limited effort, not an anaerobic one. Your goal is to hold a steady sub-threshold power across the full 11.2 km rather than burning matches on the gentle sections. Ride the shallow grades at a controlled tempo, keep something in reserve, and save your surge for the 9.04% ramp — that is where the climb is decided. If you do not know your threshold number, plug your data into the FTP estimator before you go, then aim to sit just under that figure for the sustained portions and lift briefly over it only for the steep pitch. Even pacing beats heroics here.

Gearing

For a climb this long and shallow, gearing is about protecting your legs on the one steep ramp rather than surviving relentless walls. A 34×32 bottom gear is comfortable for most fit riders and gives you enough range to spin the 9.04% section without grinding. If you carry fatigue, ride a heavier bike, or simply prefer a higher cadence, step up to a 34×34 for extra insurance on that pinch. Either way, keep your cadence smooth on the false-flats — over-gearing on a 3.01% average wastes energy you will want later.

Summary

Puerto de los Lobos is a patient rider's climb: 11.2 km of mostly gentle gradient with one honest ramp to break the rhythm. Pace it on threshold, gear it for the steep pinch, and let the 336 m of net gain accumulate under a steady effort.

Length: 11.2 km
Average gradient: 3.01%
Max gradient: 9.04%
Start: 429 m
Summit: 765 m
Net gain: 336 m
Total ascent: 328 m
Category: 3