Paso de Las Cruces

Paso de Las Cruces cycling climb profile

Paso de Las Cruces is a category 1 climb built more around duration than extreme steepness. The headline numbers are 26.8 km at an average gradient of 4.06%, starting at 1175 m and topping out at 2264 m. That gives it the feel of a long endurance climb where pacing discipline matters more than short-term power.

The important detail is the spread between the average gradient and the maximum gradient. An average of 4.06% suggests a climb that often feels manageable, especially early, but the maximum gradient of 8.82% means there are sections steep enough to punish a rider who treats the whole ascent like a steady tempo drag. On a climb this long, those steeper pitches are where poor pacing compounds quickly.

How the gradient unfolds

The available profile gives the full climb statistics rather than a ramp-by-ramp breakdown, so the safest way to read Paso de Las Cruces is as a long, mostly moderate ascent with sharper interruptions. Over 26.8 km, the 4.06% average is low enough that momentum and seated rhythm will matter, but high enough that the effort never becomes free. The road gains 1089 m from start elevation to summit elevation, while the listed total ascent is 1029 m, so the broader story is clear: this is a sustained uphill effort rather than a punchy climb with repeated resets.

That shape changes the tactical demand. On a shorter climb, the 8.82% maximum could be attacked aggressively. Here, those ramps should be treated as cost-control sections. The goal is not to avoid going hard entirely, but to avoid turning each steep pitch into an anaerobic match that has to be paid back later.

Pacing and gearing notes

Start below the effort you think you can hold. A 26.8 km climb gives plenty of time for early optimism to become late fatigue, especially if the gradient feels gentle near the bottom. Settle into a controlled tempo, keep the breathing stable, and let the climb come back to you before lifting the effort.

Practical pacing cues:

• Use the 4.06% average as a reminder not to overgear the shallow sections.
• Treat ramps toward 8.82% as short pressure points, not invitations to surge.
• Stay seated where possible to preserve traction and keep power smooth.
• If riding by power, anchor the effort around sustainable climbing intensity rather than chasing speed. See /glossary/ftp for how that ceiling should guide longer climbs.

For gearing, Paso de Las Cruces rewards a setup that lets you keep cadence under control when the grade tightens. A wide climbing range is the safer choice than a race-day ego gear. The climb is not defined by a single savage wall, but by the accumulated cost of nearly 27 km of uphill riding. Ride it with patience, and the profile becomes manageable. Ride it like the average gradient tells the whole story, and the upper half will expose that mistake.