Paso de Rilul

Paso de Rilul cycling climb profile

Paso de Rilul is the kind of climb where the headline number tells you almost everything you need to know. At 5.2 km long with an average gradient of 12.02%, it is not a long alpine-style effort where patience is rewarded over an hour or more. It is shorter, steeper, and more compressed - a climb that asks for high torque almost immediately and gives little room for rhythm if you arrive over-geared or over-threshold.

The road starts at 690 m and reaches 1,316 m, giving a net elevation gain of 626 m. That vertical gain packed into just 5.2 km explains why the climb carries a category 1 rating despite its modest distance. This is not a climb where the average is softened by long false flats. A 12.02% average means the baseline effort is already severe, and the listed maximum gradient of 16.72% means the steepest sections are likely to punish any pacing mistake made lower down.

How the gradient unfolds

The available profile data does not identify exactly where the steepest ramp comes, so the smart way to read Paso de Rilul is as a sustained steep climb with potential surges above the already-hard average. From bottom to summit, the defining feature is density: a lot of elevation gain in very little road.

That changes the tactics. On a climb averaging over 12%, there is limited value in trying to float the opening section unless the road visibly eases. Even if the first part feels manageable, the cost of riding above sustainable power is amplified because the gradient keeps resistance high and recovery opportunities are limited.

Pacing and gearing

Treat Paso de Rilul as a controlled threshold-plus climb, not a place to chase speed early. The first priority is keeping the effort just below the point where cadence collapses. Once cadence drops too far on gradients this steep, the climb becomes a repeated strength effort rather than a steady aerobic one, and that usually shows up hard in the final kilometres.

Practical setup matters. Use your easiest climbing gear from the start rather than saving it for the steepest pitch. With a maximum gradient of 16.72%, there is no downside to having more gear than you think you need. Riders who normally climb well on moderate gradients may still want lower gearing here because the average grade is high enough to make seated torque a constant demand.

For pacing, anchor the effort to sustainable power rather than speed. Speed will be low and highly sensitive to small changes in gradient, so it is a poor guide to how hard you are actually riding. If you know your /glossary/ftp, this is a climb where discipline in the first half is likely to matter more than aggression. The winning approach is simple: start conservatively, keep the pedals turning through the steepest ramps, and spend whatever is left only once the summit is close enough that a fade no longer matters.