Puerto del Peralejo

Overview

Puerto del Peralejo is a compact but serious category 2 climb: 4.8 km of road that averages 7.27% and never really lets you settle. From a start at 641 m, it drags you up to a 993 m summit, a net gain of 352 m over a distance short enough that the pain is concentrated rather than diluted. The recorded total ascent of 323 m confirms this is an almost uninterrupted upward grind — there is very little rolling terrain to hide behind. At under 5 km with a mid-7% average, it sits squarely in the zone where a climb is too long to sprint and too steep to coast. You commit early or you pay for it late.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number is a 7.27% average, but the shape matters more than the mean. With a maximum pitch of 10.05%, the hardest ramps are only a couple of points above the average — this is not a climb defined by a single wall, but by consistency. The gradient stays high and honest for the full 4.8 km, so the ramps near 10% arrive as reinforcements of an already firm rhythm rather than as shocks. Because net gain (352 m) sits close to total ascent (323 m), you can trust the profile: almost every metre forward is a metre up. Expect the middle third to feel the longest, where the novelty of the lower slopes has worn off and the summit at 993 m is not yet in view.

Pacing Notes

Treat Peralejo as a threshold effort. At 4.8 km, most riders will be on the climb for a sustained block, which means your FTP is the number that governs how well you survive it. Ride the opening ramp at or just below threshold — the temptation on a short climb is to over-cook the start, but the near-10% pitches later will punish any early debt. If you don't know your threshold, run the FTP estimator before you go and set a wattage ceiling you refuse to exceed until the final kilometre. With 352 m of climbing to dispatch, negative-splitting is the smart play: bank a little in the first half, then spend it as the summit at 993 m draws close.

Gearing

For a 4.8 km climb averaging 7.27% with pitches to 10.05%, err toward more gear than you think you need. A compact 34-tooth inner paired with a 34×32 low will get most trained riders up cleanly, but if you weigh more, ride tired, or want to protect your knees on the steep ramps, 34×34 is the safer choice and costs you nothing on a climb this steep. The extra sprocket buys cadence, and cadence is what keeps a 10% pitch from becoming a grind. There is no rolling relief here to spin out a bigger gear, so prioritise the low end.

Summary

Puerto del Peralejo is a short, steep, honest category 2 climb — the kind you can ride hard because there is nowhere to hide and no need to conserve for surprises. Pace it at threshold, gear it generously, and let its consistency work for you.

Length: 4.8 km
Average gradient: 7.27%
Max gradient: 10.05%
Start: 641 m
Summit: 993 m
Net gain: 352 m
Total ascent: 323 m
Category: 2