Alto El Encenillo

Overview

Alto El Encenillo is a Category 1 climb that packs a serious punch into a compact 6.4 km. From its base at 1024 m the road rises to a summit of 1565 m, a net gain of 541 m earned at an unforgiving average gradient of 8.41%. That average alone tells you plenty: there is very little respite here, and the total ascent of 518 m confirms that almost every meter of the road tilts upward. With a maximum gradient of 17.89%, this is a climb that rewards restraint early and punishes anyone who spends their matches too soon.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature of El Encenillo is consistency. An 8.41% average over 6.4 km means the climb never really lets you recover — there are no flat interludes to spin the legs loose. Instead, expect long stretches sitting near or just above the average, punctuated by sharper ramps that build toward that 17.89% maximum. On paper the gap between the 518 m total ascent and the 541 m net gain is small, which reinforces the picture: this is a climb that goes up and stays up, with no meaningful descending to break the rhythm. Treat every steep pitch as a stress test rather than a surprise.

Pacing Notes

The trap on a climb this steep and this short is starting too hard. At 6.4 km the temptation is to treat it like an effort you can muscle through, but 8.41% will expose an overcooked start well before the 1565 m summit. Anchor your effort to your FTP and aim to sit just below threshold on the steady sections, saving headroom for the ramps toward 17.89%. If you are unsure where your ceiling sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a pace. A climb with 541 m of net gain gives you time to settle in — but only if you resist the urge to attack the lower slopes.

Gearing

Gearing is where El Encenillo separates the prepared from the optimistic. With an average of 8.41% and pitches up to 17.89%, you want a low enough ratio to keep your cadence civil when the road kicks. A 34×32 is the sensible minimum for most riders here, giving you a fighting chance on the steady grind. If you tend to grind at low cadence, or you are carrying fatigue into the climb, a 34×34 buys you crucial breathing room on the steepest ramps and helps protect your legs across the full 6.4 km. Err toward the easier option — you will rarely regret spinning up an 8.41% average.

Summary

Alto El Encenillo is a short, honest, and genuinely hard Category 1 climb: steep, consistent, and unforgiving from bottom to top. Respect the average, gear low, and pace it off your threshold, and the 541 m of climbing to 1565 m becomes a satisfying test rather than a survival exercise.

Length: 6.4 km
Average gradient: 8.41%
Max gradient: 17.89%
Start: 1024 m
Summit: 1565 m
Net gain: 541 m
Total ascent: 518 m
Category: 1