El Escudo is a climb of 30.5 kilometers (hors catégorie). El Escudo tops out at 1,615 m above sea level. It is located in Perímetro Urbano Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia. The average gradient is 7.4% with a maximum of 17.9%. The climb has 2268 meters of elevation gain.
Difficulty analysis: This hors catégorie climb covers 30.5 km with a real challenge, averaging a steep 7.4%. The difficulty is amplified by several demanding sections, notably between km 6 and km 18 where gradients regularly exceed 8-10%, forming the hard core of the climb. The two short descents (km 23-24 and km 25-26) offer a brief breather before a tough finale.
Pacing advice:
1. Pace yourself: Start steady over the first kilometres (2-5%) to avoid blowing up early before the 10% sections.
2. Survive the central section: Prepare for the tough stretch between km 6 and km 18 (gradients of 6% to 10%). Manage your effort and your gear selection to keep a steady cadence without burning through your reserves.
3. Make the most of the breaks: Use the gentle descents (km 23-26) to recover actively (spin easy) and tackle the final climb (km 29-30.5 at 6-9%) with fresh legs.
30.5 km • 2268 m D+
VAM: average climbing speed, based on elevation gain
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