Puerto del Boyar

Overview

Puerto del Boyar is a Category 1 climb in Spain, covering 9.8 km from base to summit. It rises from a start elevation of 415 m to a summit at 1103 m, delivering 688 m of net elevation gain across its length. At an average gradient of 7.05%, this is a sustained effort that sits firmly in the harder end of the road-climbing spectrum.

The number that reshapes how you approach it is the total ascent: 970 m against a net gain of 688 m. That 282 m gap is climbing you do more than once, absorbed by short descents and false flats that hand back altitude you then have to re-earn. The consequence is that the profile is not a smooth ramp. You will spend energy on pitches that do not move your net elevation upward, so the ride feels harder than the net figure alone suggests. Budget for it.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 7.05% average is a blend, not a constant. Undulation means some sections sit well below average while others spike hard above it, and the mismatch between net gain and total ascent tells you those swings are real, not marginal.

• Flatter and recovery sections where the road eases or briefly drops, letting you shed a little of the accumulated altitude
• Repeated short climbs that re-earn that lost elevation, each one taxing on top of the sustained grind
• A steepest ramp reaching well into double digits, sharp enough to force a hard gear change if you have not planned ahead

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chase even effort, not even speed. Holding a constant pace means overcooking the steep ramps and coasting the flatter stretches, which wastes the recovery those sections offer. Instead, anchor your effort to a steady, sustainable power output and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain.

Ease off slightly on the flatter and descending sections rather than hammering to keep speed up, and meter your surges on the short re-climbs so you are not redlining repeatedly. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target for the day.

Gearing

The steepest ramp on Puerto del Boyar dictates your setup. Bring a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 will keep your cadence workable when the road kicks up and spare your legs for the repeated re-climbs. Running too tall a gear here means grinding at low cadence exactly when the undulation is already draining you. Check your chainset and cassette before you ride; you do not want to discover a gearing shortfall on the steepest pitch.

Summary

• Length: 9.8 km
• Average gradient: 7.05%
• Net elevation gain: 688 m
• Total ascent: 970 m
• Category: 1

Puerto del Boyar is a genuine Category 1 test where the total ascent, not the net gain, defines the workload. Pace to effort, gear for the steep ramps, and treat the undulation as the main event.