Calar Alto
17.1 km at 5.6%, summit at 2,151 m. Cat 1.
- Length
- 17.1 km
- Average gradient
- 5.6%
- Height gained
- 958 m
- Summit
- 2,151 m
- Steepest km
- 11.7% measured on the route
- Category
- Cat 1
The climb
Calar Alto climbs 17.1 km at an average of 5.6%, gaining 958 m to a summit at 2,151 m. That average is the least useful number on this page. The road alternates between steep pitches and stretches that let the gradient fall away, and pacing to the average means going too hard in the wrong places.
The hardest kilometre measures 10.6% and comes in the opening third of the climb, and 6 kilometres of the ascent average more than 8%, one of them above 10%.
Above 2,000 m the air is thin enough to matter: a rider who has not been at altitude loses power over the top of a climb like this regardless of how well it has been paced. In ProPace's stage data it appears on the single stage listed below.
Stages that climbed it
| Stage | Date | Summit at | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vuelta a España 2026, stage 12: Vera → Calar Alto | 3 September 2026 | km 167.2 | Cat 1 |
Stages since 2024 whose route climbed to this summit, matched on ProPace's route data. Category as listed for that stage where the roadbook data is in the app.
In ProPace you ride the whole stage, this climb included, against a pro reference in the real wind from the day. How the simulation works is set out in How much slower than a pro are you?
Ride the stages over Calar Alto against a pro in ProPace. Free on iOS.
