Collado Bermejo South: Aledo's Road to the Snow Wells of Sierra Espuña

Collado Bermejo South is 12.6 km (7.8 mi) long and climbs 882 m (2,894 ft) at an average of 7.0%, from 684 m (2,243 ft) to 1,561 m (5,123 ft). There is almost no descent along the way.

The first kilometer is a gentle 5.5%, then the road settles into 7.4% to 8% for kilometers 2 to 5. Kilometers 6 to 8 ease slightly to about 6.3% to 6.6%, reaching the Collado Bermejo pass at about 1,200 m (3,937 ft) around km 7.5. Km 9 is the breather at about 3.5%. Then comes the hardest part: km 10 averages about 10.2% and km 11 about 8.8% as the road climbs past Collado Mangueta, before the final 2 km (1.2 mi) settle to 6% to 7% to the finish.

Steepest sections: 0.5 km (0.3 mi) at 13.7%, 1 km (0.6 mi) at 11.1%, 2 km (1.2 mi) at 10.4% and 5 km (3.1 mi) at 7.5%.

Provisions:  There are no services on the climb. Aledo is small, with around 1,000 residents, so for a proper stock-up use Totana, the larger town in the valley below. Carry plenty of water - the lower slopes are sunny and inland Murcia gets very hot from late spring.

Gear:  A compact crankset with a 32- or 34-tooth cassette is a good idea for the 10% kilometer past Collado Mangueta. The top is at 1,561 m (5,123 ft) and can be cold and windy in winter, so bring a layer for the descent.

The highlight on this side of the mountain is the pozos de la nieve, the snow wells of Sierra Espuña. From the late 16th century until the 1920s, snow was packed into these deep stone-lined pits high on the Morrón and turned into ice for towns across the region, until an ice factory in Totana made them obsolete. More than two dozen survive, and since 2022 two restored wells in Totana can be visited - the largest is 12 m (39 ft) across, with a viewing balcony and spiral staircase. An unmarked path leaves the road about 100 m (328 ft) before Collado Mangueta and reaches them in under 1 km (0.6 mi).

Aledo, at the foot of the climb, is a fortified hilltop village built around the Torre del Homenaje, the keep of an Order of Santiago castle that now houses the tourist office. Nearby are La Picota, the only surviving pillory in the Region of Murcia, and the church of Santa María Real, with two sculptures by the Baroque artist Francisco Salzillo. Conditions at the top can be very different from the valley, so check them with our Weather tool before you go.