MONTIVELO

MONTIVELO

🇨🇴Colombia

Alto de Letras

Mariquita, Tolima, Colombia

80.42 km
Distance
3.9%
Avg. gradient
3,777 m
Elevation gain
HC
Climb category

Leaving Mariquita, Alto de Letras climbs west into Colombia’s Central Cordillera on a road whose scale takes time to register. Around 80 kilometres separate the town from the high point, with Fresno and Padua marking stages in a much longer journey. Cultivated slopes and coffee country give the lower mountain a lived-in character: this is a road through working countryside, with settlements along the way, rather than an isolated summit approach.

View on StravaBrowse photos

Photo by EFGA1995 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The climb · Colombia

About Alto de Letras

Leaving Mariquita, Alto de Letras climbs west into Colombia’s Central Cordillera on a road whose scale takes time to register. Around 80 kilometres separate the town from the high point, with Fresno and Padua marking stages in a much longer journey. Cultivated slopes and coffee country give the lower mountain a lived-in character: this is a road through working countryside, with settlements along the way, rather than an isolated summit approach.

The effort comes in chapters. Descents interrupt the ascent, giving back some of the height already earned, so the modest overall average conceals a more demanding ride. Beyond Delgaditas, the remaining climbing leads towards a summit around 3,660 metres above sea level. By then the distance and altitude have become inseparable parts of the experience. Letras rewards an appetite for a long mountain journey.

01 / The ascent

Elevation profile

Gradient by distance80.42 km / 3,777 m gain
-0.5% gradient-5.9% gradient-4.4% gradient-5.2% gradient-3.5% gradient0.0% gradient0.0% gradient6.7% gradient10.2% gradient4.5% gradient4.7% gradient7.6% gradient5.7% gradient7.3% gradient6.0% gradient7.0% gradient6.4% gradient6.3% gradient6.9% gradient6.0% gradient7.3% gradient7.4% gradient6.4% gradient6.6% gradient8.0% gradient5.6% gradient7.7% gradient7.4% gradient6.8% gradient7.8% gradient7.1% gradient7.7% gradient6.9% gradient6.6% gradient8.0% gradient9.5% gradient7.2% gradient7.7% gradient6.8% gradient8.2% gradient6.3% gradient6.4% gradient6.8% gradient6.4% gradient6.4% gradient7.2% gradient6.8% gradient7.6% gradient9.3% gradient8.0% gradient8.1% gradient8.3% gradient7.3% gradient4.8% gradient1.6% gradient4.5% gradient6.4% gradient3.6% gradient0.3% gradient-2.4% gradient-1.6% gradient0.0% gradient-4.4% gradient-2.0% gradient2.0% gradient0.0% gradient0.0% gradient6.5% gradient0.1% gradient-0.7% gradient-1.5% gradient2.2% gradient4.5% gradient6.7% gradient3.4% gradient2.2% 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gradient-5.3% gradient-5.8% gradient-6.0% gradient-5.2% gradient-5.5% gradient-6.4% gradient-5.7% gradient-5.7% gradient-4.8% gradient-5.7% gradient-7.7% gradient-3.3% gradient-2.2% gradient0.0% gradient2.2% gradient6.7% gradient5.9% gradient5.7% gradient5.8% gradient6.4% gradient6.3% gradient5.9% gradient5.9% gradient6.5% gradient6.1% gradient6.4% gradient6.3% gradient6.2% gradient5.8% gradient6.8% gradient5.1% gradient5.7% gradient6.5% gradient6.4% gradient5.6% gradient6.0% gradient6.0% gradient5.7% gradient5.8% gradient5.3% gradient5.6% gradient6.6% gradient7.9% gradient6.9% gradient8.2% gradient6.3% gradient6.2% gradient5.5% gradient4.1% gradient22.6% gradient
0 km16.1 km32.2 km48.2 km64.3 km80.4 km

02 / The crux

Where it gets difficult

Choose a distance to find the steepest continuous section of the climb.

Steepest 500 m average

9.1%

Where to find it

34.90–35.40 km from start

Net height gained
46 m
Section length
500 m
The whole climb80.42 km
0 kmFinish

03 / The numbers

Climb statistics

Distance
80.42 km
Elevation gain
3,777 m
Average gradient
3.9%
Climb category
HC
Start elevation
485 m
Summit elevation
3,642 m

Current weather

At the climb start

Loading weather…

Weather data: MET Norway

04 / Your effort

How long would it take?

Enter the power you could hold for the whole climb. We calculate a moving time from the elevation profile and the forces you ride against.

W/kg

Use your intended climbing effort, rather than FTP unless you can hold it for the predicted duration.

Bike + kit includes clothing, bottles and luggage.

Advanced settings

Defaults represent a road-bike scenario. Adjust these settings to match your tyres, drivetrain and riding position.

Modelled moving time

4 h 47 min

Power throughout
225 W
Average speed
16.8 km/h

Based on the 80.42 km elevation profile. Assumes steady power, with no stops, braking or drafting. Rounded to the nearest minute.

The science behind the calculation

For each part of the stored profile, we solve the steady-state cycling power equation for speed, then add distance ÷ speed across the climb. Gravity uses rider + equipment weight; available power is W/kg × rider weight. This uses the profile’s distance and elevation together, without mixing in another route’s metrics.

Power × efficiency = gravity + rolling resistance + air resistance + bearing losses

The resistance equations are adapted from Martin et al. (1998), Validation of a Mathematical Model for Road Cycling Power. Air density changes with profile altitude using NASA’s standard-atmosphere model. This calculator’s adaptation has not been independently validated.

It predicts travel at the power you enter, including on descents. It does not model acceleration, cornering, braking, traffic, wind, changing weather or fatigue. At altitude, choose power you can sustain there: thinner air reduces drag, but this model does not predict its effect on your ability to produce power. Profile quality and assumed equipment settings also affect the result.

05 / On the ground

Route map

Open segment ↗

Route overview

Alto de Letras

Mariquita, Tolima, Colombia

Route length
80.42 km
Total ascent
3,777 m
Average gradient
3.9%

06 / Take it home

The climb, as artwork

Turn the route into a personalised topographic print. Choose your colours and composition, then download your artwork.

Artwork studio loads as you approach this section.

07 / Keep exploring

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Explore Colombia →
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Photos

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