28.6
PDI
11.9 mi
DISTANCE
4,426 ft
GAINED
6.8 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
Coll de Pal climbs 19.2 km (11.9 mi) from Bagà to 2,106 m (6,913 ft), gaining 1,350 m (4,426 ft) at a 6.8% average grade. It's one of the few paved climbs in the Catalan Pyrenees to top 2,000 m, and it's rated Hors Catégorie for the sustained effort involved, even though the grade itself is never extreme.
What sets Coll de Pal apart is that the road is a dead end - it doesn't continue through to Cerdanya on the other side, so there's no through-traffic, and the climb stays remarkably quiet even in summer. At the top, a former independent ski station (Coll de Pal operated on its own from 1977 to 2004) is now folded into La Molina's ski domain, linked by a chairlift built in 2019.
The climb has a long history in Catalan racing - it appeared in the Volta a Catalunya in 1978 and 1979 and in the Setmana Catalana in the early 2000s (Alberto Contador won there in 2005, early in his career) - and it's set to return as part of the Volta a Catalunya's 2026 route (March 23-29).
Bagà itself is a medieval village with a porticoed main square, the 13th-century Palau dels Barons de Pinós, and its own UNESCO-recognized fire festival, the Fia-Faia, each December 24th.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. Coll de Pal climbs 19.2 km (11.9 mi) at a 6.8% average grade, gaining 1,350 m (4,426 ft) from about 815 m (2,674 ft) up to 2,106 m (6,913 ft). The grade is front-loaded: the opening kilometer averages 10.9% and the first 2 km hold 8.9%, before settling into a long, steadier stretch that averages 8.3% through 5 km and 7.8% through 10 km the rest of the way to the pass.
Roadway: The BV-4024 is paved the entire way from Bagà and in excellent condition, with no reported potholes or major surface issues. Because the road dead-ends at the pass rather than continuing through to Cerdanya, it sees essentially no through-traffic - just riders, hikers, and vehicles serving the ski area and a handful of mountain refuges.
Traffic: Very light overall; the main caution is occasional larger service or construction vehicles for the ski station, which riders have reported cutting corners on the descent's tighter bends.
Parking: Park in Bagà near the start of the climb - the village has ordinary street parking rather than a dedicated cyclist lot. At the top, the La Molina/Coll de Pal ski area has a large parking area that's open and accessible outside of the winter ski season.
Provisions: Bagà has grocery shops, bakeries, and cafes for a pre-ride coffee or to stock up on water; there's little else along the climb itself until the ski station buildings near the top, which have limited food and drink service outside of winter.
Gear: A standard road bike setup handles this climb fine - the grade never gets extreme, though a compact chainring makes the steeper opening kilometer more comfortable. Pack layers for the top: at over 2,000 m, temperatures can be noticeably cooler and windier than in Bagà, even in summer.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Bagà is worth building time around - it's a medieval village centered on a porticoed main square with the Church of Sant Esteve and the 13th-century Palau dels Barons de Pinós, now home to a Medieval and Cathar heritage center. If you're there around December 24th, the Fia-Faia - a UNESCO-recognized fire festival where residents carry burning torches down the mountainside into the village - is worth timing a visit around.
Coll de Pal is set to return to the Volta a Catalunya in the 2026 edition (March 23-29), so expect the road to be in good shape, and possibly closed to regular traffic around race dates if you're planning a spring visit. See our Routes in the Area tool for other climbs nearby in the Berguedà and Cadí-Moixeró area.
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bikeage
Very nice climb, steady gradients. Minimal traffic on Sunday afternoon.
A spring around half-way in case you need to cool off.
With bigger tires and a bit of hiking you can go through to La Molina but it’s quite rough (30mm Schwalbe G-One Speed, with 5kg saddle bag).
