If you are only going to climb one mountain pass in Asturias and you don't care about showing off, climb this one.

The Angliru is the one you talk about. La Farrapona is the one you remember.

The numbers

From Pola de Somiedo, it is 16.5 kilometers with 1,096 meters of elevation gain, an average gradient of 6.6%, and a maximum of 12%. The summit is at 1,708 meters, which makes it the highest paved road in Asturias.

On our internal difficulty scale, it scores 72. The Angliru, to give you some context, scores 128. It is less tough. It is not easy.

The profile, kilometer by kilometer

Here is the key to the pass, and it is exactly the opposite of the Angliru:

Km	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
%	4	5	4	6	5	4	7	6	7	3	8	9	10	11	9	8

 

The first ten kilometers do not exceed seven percent except at a couple of points, and the tenth drops to three percent. That is a long false flat climbing up the Saliencia valley. You can ride, talk, and look around.

And then, from kilometer eleven, the road leaves the pastures and the final six go above an eight-percent average, with a peak of eleven at the fourteenth. These are not killer ramps. The thing is, you arrive at them with an hour of climbing already in your legs and at 1,500 meters of altitude, which is where the air starts to be felt.

It is a pass that punishes those who rode too briskly in the valley. And in the valley, everyone rides too briskly.

How long it will take you

Cyclotourist	1h52
Fit amateur	1h25
Race pace	57 min

Times for the pass only, from Pola de Somiedo, not counting the approach.

What makes it different

This is not a pass of asphalt and antennas. It is a pass within the Somiedo Natural Park, which is real brown bear territory, not just brochure filler.

You will see "teito" mountain huts, which are the thatched-roof cabins that are still in use. You will see livestock loose on the road, and you should keep that in mind on the descent. And in the last few kilometers, you will have the glacial lakes of Saliencia right beside you, which is the reason why half the people who reach the top just stand there for a while without saying anything.

There aren't many places in Europe where you can climb a first-category pass on a road like this and only pass four cars.

The La Vuelta pass

La Farrapona has been a stage finish of La Vuelta a España in 2011, with a victory by Antonio Piedra, and later in 2016 and 2020.

It doesn't have the myth of the Angliru or the history of Covadonga, and it's probably better that way: you won't find the pass full of people trying to set their best time.

What’s not in the data

It’s cold at the top, even in August. You are at 1,708 meters on the Cantabrian coast. Climb with a jacket even if you start out from Pola de Somiedo in short sleeves, because you will need it to descend sixteen kilometers with your body static.

The livestock. Cows and horses loose on the road, especially in the high section. On the climb, it doesn't matter. On the descent, at fifty kilometers per hour and with a blind curve, it does.

Supplies. Stock up in Pola de Somiedo. There is nothing at the top, and the valley has small villages where there isn't always an open shop.

The combo. If you want the full day, link it with the Alto de San Lorenzo: that makes for 96 kilometers and 2,400 meters of elevation gain from Pola de Somiedo, and it is probably the most beautiful day you can spend on a bike in the north of Spain.

And if you only have one day

Then it depends on what you came looking for.

If you came to be able to tell the tale, go to the Angliru, that's what it's there for.

If you came to ride, you come here.

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The other nine. La Farrapona is one of the ten mythical passes of Asturias that we have collected in a seventeen-page guide: kilometer-by-kilometer profiles, times by level, six routes that link them, and what you need to know about each road. It's free.

Download the Asturias mountain pass guide

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Alto de La Farrapona?

16.5 kilometers from Pola de Somiedo, with 1,096 meters of elevation gain, an average gradient of 6.6%, and a maximum of 12%. The summit is at 1,708 meters.

Is La Farrapona the highest road in Asturias?

Yes, it is the highest paved road in the Principality, the SD-2, with the summit at 1,708 meters.

What is the tough section?

The last six kilometers, from 11 to 16, with averages of 8, 9, 10, 11, 9, and 8%. The first ten are a false flat climbing up the Saliencia valley and they are very deceptive.

Can you climb La Farrapona in winter?

It is not recommended. It is at 1,708 meters in the heart of the Cantabrian coast and the high section can have snow or ice. From June to September is safe, and even in August, it is cold at the top.

What is the difference between La Farrapona and the Lakes of Saliencia?

The Lakes of Saliencia are the glacial lakes that are located next to the road in the high section of the pass, and there is a hiking trail that runs through them. La Farrapona is the summit the road reaches. When cycling up, you pass right by the lakes.