Carretera de Itrabo (gravel climb)
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.
The 10 km section of gravel is at times arduous, with a rough surface that is easily managed on a gravel bike, and views that make it worth the occasional pause on some of the steeper sections. The gradient averages 5%, with some steeper sections thrown in, and the road itself is sprinkled with short sections of downhill which aid recovery.
THE NUMBERS
CLIMB CATEGORY - 2
Length of climb - 10.4km
Summit elevation - 1,339M
Start elevation - 794M
Elevation gain - 545M
Gradient (avg) - 5%
As you climb out of the village the first two kilometers are quiet flat, with a relatively smooth surface. As you leave the village you’ll pass through rows of centenary olive trees, which will turn to rows of almond trees, then pine trees and eventually towards the top rolling sparse plains.
As you wind your way through the valley, the climb becomes steeper in places, sometimes hitting double figures. In these sections, focus is sometimes needed on spreading your weight on the back wheel to maintain traction. This climbing continues for six kilometers, until you come to the red, smooth surface from the eighth kilometer, where you descend through mountain plains and pass by remote farmhouses 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 Granada/Padul, or straight on to Jayena.
