Puerto de Mijares

Overview

Puerto de Mijares is a Category 1 climb in Spain (ES), running 16.3 km from a start elevation of 582 m to a summit at 1,561 m. That gives a net elevation gain of 979 m at an average gradient of 6.02% — a long, sustained effort that sits firmly in the range where climbing becomes a discipline of patience rather than power.

The number to watch is the gap between the net elevation gain of 979 m and the total ascent of 1,677 m. That difference — roughly 698 m — is climbing you do and then give back on the way up. The road undulates: you gain height, descend or flatten, then climb again. In practice that means the effort is punchier than the tidy 6.02% average suggests, and any downhill or false-flat is height you have to re-earn. Budget for a climb that costs more than its net figure implies.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 6.02% average is a blend, not a constant. With 1,677 m of total ascent packed into a climb that only nets 979 m, long stretches sit below average while others rear up well above it. Do not pace off the mean — pace off the pitches.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or briefly tips downhill, letting you sit up and reset.
• Repeated short climbs stacked back to back, the signature of this profile's high total ascent.
• A steepest ramp far above the average that will spike your effort — hold something in reserve for it.

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chasing even speed is a trap: you'll blow up hammering the steep ramps trying to hold a number that the flat sections gave you for free. Aim instead for even effort. Hold a steady sustainable power output through the climbs and let your speed rise on the flatter, recovery sections rather than surging.

If you don't know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator before you go. Anchor your climbing effort a touch below that figure so the repeated pitches don't compound into a slow fade over 16.3 km.

Gearing

The steepest ramp on this climb is what sets your gearing, not the average. Come with range to spare. A compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 — keeps your cadence up when the road kicks well past 6%. On a 979 m net climb, spinning a low gear costs far less than grinding an over-geared one to a standstill. Check your setup before the ride: confirm the cassette and derailleur actually shift into the bailout cog cleanly rather than discovering it mid-ramp.

Summary

• Length: 16.3 km
• Average gradient: 6.02%
• Net elevation gain: 979 m
• Total ascent: 1,677 m
• Category: 1

Puerto de Mijares rewards riders who respect its undulation. Pace to effort, gear for the steep pitches, and treat the total ascent — not the net gain — as the true measure of the day.