Paso de las Damas

Paso de las Damas cycling climb profile

Paso de las Damas is a Category 1 climb in AR that asks a very specific question: can you keep producing controlled power for a long time without getting dragged into the red by the steeper ramps. At 40.1 km, this is not a climb to attack like a short pass, even though the average gradient of 4% can make it look manageable on paper.

That average is the key tactical trap. A 4% mean gradient over this distance still produces a major vertical workload, with the road rising from 1075 m to 2679 m and a listed net elevation gain of 1604 m. The climb is long enough that small pacing errors compound. Riding just above sustainable effort early can feel harmless, but over this duration it turns into a slow bleed of glycogen and cadence control.

How the gradient rides

The profile should be read as a long, aerobic climb with interruptions. The 4% average says the road is not continuously brutal, but the 12% maximum gradient matters because it changes the way the climb has to be ridden. A rider who gears only for the average will be under-equipped when the road bites. Those steeper sections are where momentum fades, torque demand rises, and pacing discipline gets tested.

Without detailed split data, the safest assumption is not that the climb is easy because the average is low. The better interpretation is that Paso de las Damas has enough gentler climbing to dilute the average, while still containing ramps steep enough to force real effort. That makes it a rhythm climb only if you protect that rhythm. If you surge every time the gradient lifts, the final part of the 40.1 km becomes much harder than the headline number suggests.

Pacing strategy

Start below threshold and stay there. For a climb this long, the first objective is not speed, but keeping the effort smooth enough that the 12% sections do not become decisive. Use perceived exertion alongside power, because the elevation change from 1075 m to 2679 m means the upper slopes are likely to feel more costly than the lower slopes at the same output.

A practical approach is to ride the main body of the climb at a steady endurance-to-tempo pressure, then allow only brief, controlled increases on the steepest ramps. If using power, anchor the effort around your sustainable climbing range rather than chasing speed. If you need a reference point, use your /glossary/ftp as a ceiling, not a target.

Gearing notes

Choose gearing for the 12% maximum gradient, not the 4% average. The correct setup is one that lets you keep cadence from collapsing when the road steepens late in a long effort. A compact or sub-compact climbing setup with a wide-range cassette is the sensible choice for most riders, especially if carrying extra weight or riding after a hard approach.

The climb rewards patience. Paso de las Damas is less about one violent selection and more about whether you can manage torque, cadence, fueling, and restraint across 40.1 km of sustained elevation gain.