Paso de las Yaretas

Paso de las Yaretas cycling climb profile

Paso de las Yaretas is not a climb to judge by its average gradient alone. On paper, 92.6 km at 3.5% can look manageable, but the scale of the ascent changes the ride completely. Starting at 306 m and reaching 3545 m, it gains 3239 m net, with 3466 m of total ascent. That tells you the defining feature is not a single wall or a short decisive ramp, but the cumulative cost of climbing for a very long time.

The HC classification fits the profile. This is a climb where fatigue is built gradually, and where pacing mistakes made early can become expensive much later.

How the gradient unfolds

The 3.5% average suggests a climb that often feels more like a long uphill drag than a constantly steep mountain road. That matters tactically. Sustained moderate gradients encourage riders to sit on tempo, keep pressure on the pedals, and convince themselves they are riding conservatively. The risk is that the climb is so long that even slightly optimistic pacing becomes a slow leak.

The presence of a 12.23% maximum gradient is the warning label. The average does not protect you from sharp ramps, and those steeper moments will feel very different once the cumulative elevation gain has started to bite. With total ascent exceeding net elevation gain, the road is not a perfectly smooth ramp from bottom to top. Any dips or flatter sections can reset rhythm, but they also mean the harder pitches have to be absorbed without overreacting.

The practical read is simple: ride the lower slopes as if the upper mountain matters, because it does. The summit at 3545 m adds another layer. Even without needing to overstate it, finishing that high means the top portion should be treated with respect. If you arrive there already above your sustainable effort, the climb will punish you.

Pacing and gearing notes

Use the average gradient as a guide to overall load, not as permission to ride aggressively. A steady endurance-to-tempo effort is the right default for most riders, with enough restraint to handle the 12.23% steepest section without a surge that empties the tank.

Practical approach:

• Start easier than the gradient seems to demand, especially because the climb runs for 92.6 km.
• Keep cadence comfortable on the moderate sections rather than forcing a big gear for speed.
• Save your easiest gear for the steepest ramps and the final approach to 3545 m.
• Treat flatter or easier sections as chances to stabilize effort, not opportunities to chase time.
• Fuel early and consistently. The climb is long enough that waiting until you feel empty is already too late.

For riders using power, anchor the ride around sustainable output rather than speed. Wind, elevation gain, and gradient changes can make speed misleading on a climb of this size. If you need a reference point, build your pacing from /glossary/ftp or estimate it first with /tools/ftp-estimator.

The bottom line

Paso de las Yaretas is a test of restraint more than explosiveness. The numbers point to a climb that is usually moderate, occasionally steep, and relentlessly long. The rider who succeeds is not the one who attacks the average gradient, but the one who respects the total ascent, keeps the gearing light enough, and arrives at the high summit with something left.