Puerto de la Yerbabuena cycling climb profile
Puerto de la Yerbabuena is a category 2 climb in Mexico that asks for restraint more than aggression. On paper, 29.3 km at 3.64% looks manageable, but that average is the number that can mislead riders. The climb gains 1067 m from a start elevation of 1058 m to a summit elevation of 2125 m, with 1068 m of total ascent, so the main challenge is duration and accumulated load rather than one brutally steep wall.
The key detail is the maximum gradient of 12.53%. That tells you the climb is not simply a long false flat. A moderate average over this distance can only coexist with that kind of maximum if the gradient varies, with easier ground balancing out sharper ramps. The practical consequence is simple: ride the average, but gear for the maximum.
How the gradient unfolds
From bottom to summit, Puerto de la Yerbabuena should be treated as a long aerobic climb with interruptions. The 3.64% average suggests extended portions where speed can stay relatively high and momentum matters. Those sections are where it is tempting to over-ride, especially if the road feels more like a drag than a climb.
That temptation is the trap. Over 29.3 km, small surges compound. If you ride the easier gradients too close to threshold, the steeper pitches up to 12.53% will force repeated spikes above sustainable power. The climb then stops being a steady endurance effort and becomes a series of costly accelerations. For a climb this long, that is usually how riders lose time late rather than gain it early.
The net gain of 1067 m is almost identical to the total ascent of 1068 m, which points to a climb whose overall direction is consistently upward. Even if the gradient eases at times, there is very little room to rely on meaningful descending to recover. Recovery has to come from backing off on the gentler slopes, not from free speed.
Pacing and gearing notes
The best pacing approach is controlled from the start. Settle into an effort below your hard climbing ceiling, especially if you are pacing by /glossary/ftp. The climb is long enough that early enthusiasm will be exposed, and the maximum gradient is steep enough that you need a reserve.
Gearing should be chosen for the 12.53% sections, not the 3.64% average. If your easiest gear only feels comfortable on moderate gradients, the steepest ramps will force low cadence and muscular grinding. That may be manageable once, but over a 29.3 km climb it creates fatigue that is hard to clear.
A smart ride is patient: keep pressure smooth on the shallower gradients, avoid chasing speed too aggressively, and treat every steep pitch as a place to limit damage rather than prove form. Puerto de la Yerbabuena rewards riders who understand that a low average gradient does not make a climb easy when the road keeps rising for this long.