21.7
PDI
4.3 mi
DISTANCE
2,479 ft
GAINED
10.9 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
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. Ermita del Alba gains 755.6 m (2,479 ft) in 6.9 km (4.3 mi), an average grade of 10.9%, climbing from 432.8 m (1,420 ft) in Bárzana to 1,184.5 m (3,886 ft) at the hermitage.
The steepest 5 km average 11.7%, the steepest 2 km 12.2%, the steepest kilometer 13.3% and the steepest 500 m 14.0%. The steepest 91 m (100 yd) reach 18.2%, and Spanish climbing guides report pitches above 20% near Las Vallinas and Salcedo and a maximum of about 26% close to the summit.
Race previews describe the profile as a staircase - a steep ramp, a flatter moment, then another pitch upward. With an overall average this high, those breaks are short, so pace the first half of the climb.
Roadway: The road is paved all the way to the hermitage, but it is very narrow - just under 3 m (10 ft) wide in places - and the surface deteriorates near the top, where the final ramp is rough and patched. Spanish climb guides and the 2015 Vuelta previews describe the same pattern, so expect a bumpier ride on the last kilometer than on the lower slopes. Check local reports before riding after winter.
Traffic: Light. The road serves a handful of small villages and the hermitage, so you will mostly share it with local vehicles, though on the narrowest sections an oncoming car means slowing right down.
Parking: Bárzana is the main village of the Quirós valley and parking is informal - leave the car in the village rather than on the narrow climb road, and be ready to ride out from wherever you park.
Gear: This is a climb for your lowest gears. With a 10.9% average and ramps above 20%, a compact or sub-compact setup (a 34-tooth chainring with a 32-tooth or larger cog) is worth having, especially for the rough final ramp.
Provisions: Top up your bottles in Bárzana before starting, since the climb passes only small villages, and carry a light rain jacket - weather in the Aramo range can change quickly.
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.
Bárzana is the practical base for this climb. Hotel Valle de Quirós is in the village, and for a post-ride meal Casa Jamallo is a popular Asturian restaurant, with Restaurante El Teixo and the Sidrería-Parrilla Las Ubiñas as alternatives for cider and grilled meat.
Off the bike, the Valdemurio reservoir, the forest sanctuary on Monsacro mountain and the ancient Bermiego oak and yew tree are all close by, and the Prehistory Park in neighboring Teverga makes a good rest-day outing. The hermitage itself is a small chapel that belongs to Quirós's rich heritage of churches, hermitages and pilgrim routes, and the views from the top are the reward for the effort.
For the Angliru's long ramps on the other side of the massif, see our Alto de l'Angliru page. See other Asturian climbs nearby, or map out a custom route from here, with our Routes in the Area tool.
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