Alto de Tizar

Overview

Alto de Tizar is a long, patient climb: 20.8 km of steady elevation that lifts you from 219 m at the base to 1080 m at the summit. That works out to 861 m of net vertical gain, with 854 m of total ascent along the way — the two figures sitting close together tells you this is an honest, mostly uphill road with little in the way of descending or false flat to break the rhythm.

At 4.13% average gradient, Tizar wears a category 2 label. It is not the savage wall of a hors catégorie giant, but do not mistake moderate for easy. Twenty kilometres is a long time to sit against gravity, and a max gradient of 11.68% means the road bares its teeth at least once. This is a climb of endurance and self-management far more than raw power.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining number here is the gap between the 4.13% average and the 11.68% maximum. A climb that averages just over 4% but spikes near 12% is not uniform — the moderate mean is the product of gentler stretches balanced against sharper ramps. Expect long sections that sit comfortably under the average, punctuated by pitches that climb well into double digits.

Spreading 861 m of net gain across 20.8 km gives you room to settle, but the steepest ramps are where riders lose the plot. The trick is treating the 11.68% pinches as brief guests rather than the character of the whole road. Ride the average, respect the spikes.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, pacing is everything. Anchor your effort to a percentage of your FTP rather than to feel — 20.8 km is long enough that early enthusiasm gets punished in the final third. A sustainable tempo just below threshold lets you absorb the 11.68% ramps without cracking, then settle back onto the shallower gradients to recover.

If you are unsure of your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. Knowing your ceiling turns a 861 m guessing game into a manageable, measured effort. Save a little for the top — the summit at 1080 m arrives only after the full 20.8 km is behind you.

Gearing

For a climb averaging 4.13% but touching 11.68%, prioritise a low end that lets you spin the steep ramps rather than grind them. A compact 34-tooth inner paired with a wide cassette is the sensible baseline. A 34×32 will cover most riders comfortably on the sustained tempo sections and carry you over the sharper pitches.

If you weigh more, tire late in long efforts, or simply want to protect your knees across 20.8 km, size up to 34×34. That extra sprocket costs nothing on the easy gradients and buys real insurance when the road rears toward 11.68%.

Summary

Alto de Tizar rewards patience: a long, steady category 2 climb where managing your effort across 20.8 km matters more than any single ramp. Pace to your threshold, gear low enough to spin the 11.68% spikes, and let the 861 m of gain come to you.

Length: 20.8 km
Average gradient: 4.13%
Max gradient: 11.68%
Start: 219 m
Summit: 1080 m
Net gain: 861 m
Total ascent: 854 m
Category: 2