Collado de Artesiaga

Overview

Collado de Artesiaga is a Category 1 climb in Spain (ES), running 5.6 km from a start elevation of 342 m to a summit at 972 m. Across that distance it delivers a net elevation gain of 630 m, which puts its average gradient at a demanding 11.3%. This is a short, steep effort: there is nowhere near enough length to ease into it, and the average alone signals a climb that stays hard from bottom to top.

The profile is not a clean, uniform ramp. While the net gain is 630 m, the total ascent is 758 m — a difference of 128 m. That gap means the road undulates: you climb, give back a little, and climb again. Those re-climbs do not show up in the net figure, but your legs feel every one. Plan your effort around the total ascent, not the net, because that extra 128 m is work you still have to pay for.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 11.3% average is a blend, and blending hides both the pitches that let you breathe and the ramps that hurt. On a climb with this much undulation, expect the gradient to swing well above and below the average rather than hold steady.

• Short flatter or slightly descending sections where you can recover and re-set your rhythm.
• Repeated short climbs stacked back to back — the source of the 128 m difference between net gain and total ascent.
• A steepest ramp that sits meaningfully above 11.3%; treat any pitch above the average as a place to protect your effort, not attack.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and broken up, even-effort beats even-speed. Your speed will drop on the ramps and rise on the flatter sections — chasing a constant speed forces you into the red on every pitch. Instead, hold a steady, repeatable sustainable power output and let your speed float with the terrain.

The undulation makes this discipline harder: it is tempting to hammer the recovery sections to make up time, but that spends the reserves you need for the next ramp. Ride the flatter parts at effort, not flat out. If you do not know your ceiling, run the numbers through the FTP estimator first and set a target you can hold for the full 5.6 km.

Gearing

With an average of 11.3% and steeper ramps stacked on top, gearing is not optional — it is the difference between spinning and grinding to a stall. Fit a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette. A 34×32 is a sensible floor here; a 34×34 gives you real margin on the steepest pitches. Check your setup before the ride, not at the base of the climb. The wrong cassette turns a Category 1 effort into a survival exercise.

Summary

• Length: 5.6 km
• Average gradient: 11.3%
• Net elevation gain: 630 m
• Total ascent: 758 m
• Category: 1

Collado de Artesiaga is a short climb that rides long. The steep average, the Category 1 rating, and the 128 m of hidden re-climbing all point the same way: pace it on effort, gear it low, and respect the total ascent over the net figure.