Starting just above the village of Albuñuelas, this gravel climb leaves the town and heads towards the top of the Goat’s Path climb. As you climb you have the backdrop of the white peaks of the Sierra Nevada behind you, it’s such a beautiful sight it makes it hard not to stop and just to take it in. Albuñuelas has an interesting history, one notable point being; at Christmas in 1884, 500 homes were partially destroyed by an earthquake there.
The 10 km section of gravel is a joy to ride, with a surface that is easily managed on a road bike, and views that make it worth the occasional skid on some of the steeper sections. The gradient averages 5% and the road itself is sprinkled with short sections of downhill which aid recovery.
For the first two kilometers the gradient is near flat, with a really smooth surface and scenery that will live long in the memory. As you wind your way through the valley, the climb becomes steeper in places, sometimes hitting 20%.
In these sections,focus is sometimes needed on evenly spreading your weight between the front and back wheels to maintain traction. This climbing continues for six kilometers, until you come the red, smooth surface of the eighth kilometers, where you descend through grassy fields and by remote houses until you reach the asphalt road at 10.4km.
From here you can turn left, towards Otívar which brings with it a beautiful, and long descent. You can also go right in the direction of El Padul, or straight on to Jayena.