Alto del Gallo

Alto del Gallo cycling climb profile

Alto del Gallo is a 15 km HC climb in CO, rising from 1139 m to 2254 m with 1115 m of net elevation gain. The headline number is the 7.42% average gradient, but the more important detail for riding it well is the gap between that average and the 16.85% maximum. This is not a climb to treat as a steady metronomic effort from bottom to summit.

How the gradient unfolds

Over 15 km, a 7.42% average already places Alto del Gallo in sustained climbing territory. The maximum gradient of 16.85% changes the character of the effort because it means the climb contains pitches steep enough to disrupt cadence and force higher torque. Even if those ramps are not constant, they matter because they break rhythm and make it easy to spend energy faster than planned.

The climb starts at 1139 m and finishes at 2254 m, so the effort gains height all the way to the top. The stats do not show exactly where the steepest section arrives, which makes pacing discipline more important. The safest read is to assume the hardest pitch may still be ahead until the summit is clearly in reach.

Pacing and gearing

The best pacing model is a capped effort, not an average-power chase. If you are pacing from /glossary/ftp, start below your ceiling and let the steeper ramps pull you closer to it only when necessary. On a climb with a 16.85% maximum, chasing a perfectly even power number can backfire if it forces you into low-cadence grinding.

Gearing should be chosen for the steepest ramps, not the 7.42% average. A gear that feels conservative early is the right call if it lets you keep cadence under control when the road kicks up. Once cadence collapses, the effort becomes more muscular, and that cost is difficult to clear on a 15 km ascent.

What it rewards

Alto del Gallo rewards restraint. Its HC category is backed up by the combination of length, elevation gain, and a steep maximum gradient. The rider who handles it best will avoid matching every change in slope with a surge, keep the steepest ramps contained, and save enough aerobic control to finish the climb without fading in the final kilometres.