Paso de Coyanco

Paso de Coyanco cycling climb profile

Paso de Coyanco is a compact category 4 climb in CL, but it is not a throwaway effort. At 1.2 km with an average gradient of 7.03%, it sits in the awkward zone where the climb is short enough to tempt an over-aggressive start, but steep enough that a bad opening minute can cost more than it gains.

The road rises from 30 m to 117 m, for 87 m of net elevation gain. That tells you the basic character: this is a short, direct uphill rather than a long climb that rewards patience over many changes in rhythm. The listed total ascent is 57 m, while the net elevation gain is 87 m, so the available data is not internally clean enough to build a corner-by-corner gradient narrative. The useful takeaway is still clear: ride it as a sustained uphill effort, not as a rolling road with meaningful recovery.

How the gradient rides

With only 1.2 km to cover, Paso de Coyanco does not give much room to recover from pacing errors. The average gradient of 7.03% means the climb should feel constantly engaged under load. The source lists a maximum gradient of 5.97%, which is lower than the listed average, so it should not be treated as reliable evidence of a specific steepest ramp. In practical terms, do not bank on a decisive wall, but do not expect the climb to ease enough to reset either.

The most sensible way to read the profile is as a steady, moderately steep climb from bottom to summit. That kind of gradient is deceptive because it rarely forces an immediate gear panic, but it steadily pushes torque demand up. If you start above your sustainable power, the short length can make it feel manageable until the final part, where cadence starts to fall and the effort becomes inefficient.

Pacing and gearing notes

For a rider using power, this is a controlled over-threshold or high-threshold effort depending on the goal. If it is part of a longer ride, cap the first section around your /glossary/ftp and lift only once the summit is clearly within reach. If it is a standalone segment attempt, the better pattern is still progressive: fast entry, controlled middle, committed finish.

Gearing should prioritise cadence stability. A gear that feels only slightly heavy at the base can become costly once the gradient has held for more than a minute. Start seated, keep one easier gear available, and avoid forcing a low-cadence grind unless that is a deliberate strength effort.

Paso de Coyanco is short, but the numbers point to a climb that rewards discipline. The key is not surviving distance. It is avoiding the common mistake of treating 1.2 km as too brief to pace.