Collado de los Lobos

Overview

Collado de los Lobos is a Category 1 ascent that asks for genuine patience. Over 15.1 km it climbs from a valley floor at 162 m to a summit of 1091 m, a net gain of 929 m at an average gradient of 6.14%. That average sits in the sweet spot where a climb is relentless without ever being purely a wall — steep enough to sting for the full distance, shallow enough that rhythm matters more than raw power. The 12.45% maximum tells you the road does bite in places, so the challenge is metering effort across a long haul rather than surviving a single brutal pitch.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline number is the length. At 15.1 km, this is a climb measured in tens of minutes, not seconds, and the 6.14% average is what you will feel underneath you almost the whole way up. The gap between the 6.14% average and the 12.45% maximum is the story here: the road pulses between sustained mid-single-digit grades and sharper ramps that briefly more than double the effort. Total ascent comes in at 901 m against a net gain of 929 m, and that small difference — just 28 m — confirms the profile climbs almost monotonically, with barely any respite or false descent to reset your legs. Once you start up, you keep going up.

Pacing Notes

Treat the average, not the maximum, as your governor. On a climb this long, going too hard on the early ramps is the classic error — you bank fatigue you cannot repay across the remaining kilometres. Aim to hold an even effort just under your FTP, letting the 12.45% ramps push you briefly over threshold before you settle back down on the flatter sections that follow. If you don't know your threshold power, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you ride, then pick a wattage you can defend for the full 15.1 km. With 929 m to gain, discipline in the opening third buys you the legs to stay strong all the way to 1091 m.

Gearing

For a 15.1 km climb averaging 6.14% with ramps to 12.45%, gear for the steep bits, not the average. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette gives most riders enough range to spin the sustained sections without grinding. If your threshold is more modest, or you simply want to protect your legs across a climb this long, drop to a 34×34 — that extra sprocket keeps your cadence up on the 12.45% pitches and turns a survival grind into a steady rhythm. Erring toward the easier ratio almost always pays off on a climb where the distance does as much damage as the gradient.

Summary

Collado de los Lobos is a long, honest Category 1 climb: 15.1 km of near-continuous ascent that rewards even pacing and forgiving gears. Come with a plan for the 12.45% ramps and let the 6.14% average do the rest.

Length: 15.1 km
Average gradient: 6.14%
Max gradient: 12.45%
Start: 162 m
Summit: 1091 m
Net gain: 929 m
Total ascent: 901 m
Category: 1