MONTIVELO

MONTIVELO

🇨🇴Colombia

El Picacho

Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia

47.90 km
Distance
4.9%
Avg. gradient
2,635 m
Elevation gain
HC
Climb category

The long climb from Bucaramanga towards the Picacho toll and high crossing on the road to Cúcuta in Santander. The road gains height above the city before reaching the high country near Berlín. This segment starts within Bucaramanga; it is distinct from longer approaches from Girón and from similarly named hills in other Colombian departments. Picacho was a summit finish in the 2017 Vuelta a Colombia.

View on Strava

The climb · Colombia

About El Picacho

The long climb from Bucaramanga towards the Picacho toll and high crossing on the road to Cúcuta in Santander. The road gains height above the city before reaching the high country near Berlín. This segment starts within Bucaramanga; it is distinct from longer approaches from Girón and from similarly named hills in other Colombian departments. Picacho was a summit finish in the 2017 Vuelta a Colombia.

01 / The ascent

Elevation profile

Gradient by distance47.90 km / 2,635 m gain
1.9% gradient4.1% gradient5.4% gradient6.1% gradient5.6% gradient6.4% gradient4.8% gradient4.9% gradient10.4% gradient19.0% gradient20.3% gradient2.2% gradient-1.7% gradient-0.1% gradient-0.1% gradient1.5% gradient12.7% gradient13.3% gradient15.4% gradient6.0% gradient4.7% gradient4.1% gradient-14.3% gradient-1.8% gradient2.1% gradient0.4% gradient2.5% gradient7.7% gradient7.4% gradient7.1% gradient6.3% gradient6.4% gradient6.1% gradient4.8% gradient-0.6% gradient0.2% gradient-0.2% gradient2.0% gradient2.8% gradient2.0% gradient0.5% gradient0.8% gradient31.9% gradient8.8% gradient6.9% gradient6.0% gradient7.1% gradient3.9% gradient3.6% gradient3.3% gradient-1.2% gradient-3.7% gradient-1.9% gradient-3.5% gradient-2.9% gradient-3.5% gradient10.1% gradient-9.1% gradient7.9% gradient5.7% gradient4.5% gradient3.6% gradient7.1% gradient6.5% gradient5.3% gradient7.8% gradient5.8% gradient6.2% gradient8.1% gradient6.6% gradient7.3% gradient7.6% gradient7.4% gradient6.2% gradient6.7% gradient6.9% gradient6.3% gradient8.1% gradient5.6% gradient7.3% gradient8.3% gradient8.1% gradient8.6% gradient7.9% gradient2.4% gradient-0.3% gradient-2.5% gradient1.0% gradient-3.2% gradient1.5% gradient1.5% gradient24.8% gradient24.1% gradient23.5% gradient15.6% gradient7.6% gradient7.7% gradient8.1% gradient7.4% gradient6.0% gradient4.5% gradient3.4% gradient3.4% gradient4.3% gradient3.9% gradient4.4% gradient4.4% gradient5.2% gradient3.8% gradient3.7% gradient4.1% gradient4.1% gradient4.8% gradient4.1% gradient3.4% gradient-1.7% gradient4.7% gradient1.0% gradient0.7% gradient1.0% gradient0.0% gradient-0.4% gradient0.8% gradient1.7% gradient1.6% gradient0.9% gradient3.9% gradient20.5% gradient12.4% gradient1.5% gradient-5.8% gradient13.1% gradient2.0% gradient-9.7% gradient15.8% gradient0.9% gradient2.1% gradient3.2% gradient4.3% gradient3.2% gradient3.3% gradient6.1% gradient20.5% gradient18.4% gradient19.1% gradient0.3% gradient-2.2% gradient-2.6% gradient-3.4% gradient-2.8% gradient0.1% gradient4.6% gradient5.0% gradient4.1% gradient3.8% gradient3.6% gradient4.7% gradient21.0% gradient-6.2% gradient2.4% gradient10.1% gradient2.5% gradient1.0% gradient2.7% gradient2.6% gradient3.2% gradient3.4% gradient3.0% gradient3.0% gradient2.6% gradient1.2% gradient0.0% gradient-0.2% gradient-1.1% gradient-0.3% gradient-0.4% gradient-1.3% gradient-0.9% gradient0.1% gradient-0.8% gradient-1.8% gradient-1.6% gradient-0.6% gradient-0.3% gradient3.4% gradient7.0% gradient6.6% gradient8.8% gradient7.8% gradient7.7% gradient7.9% gradient7.0% gradient4.8% gradient4.4% gradient4.6% gradient5.4% gradient5.2% gradient5.0% gradient5.1% gradient4.5% gradient4.9% gradient4.5% gradient4.9% gradient4.1% gradient4.9% gradient6.0% gradient5.7% gradient4.9% gradient5.4% gradient5.3% gradient4.9% gradient4.1% gradient5.0% gradient4.9% gradient6.2% gradient-0.2% gradient-1.8% gradient-2.1% gradient-4.1% gradient-5.4% gradient-5.9% gradient-5.3% gradient-5.4% gradient-0.8% gradient0.7% gradient0.5% gradient0.5% gradient1.6% gradient1.9% gradient2.4% gradient2.9% gradient1.6% gradient2.5% gradient-1.9% gradient6.6% gradient6.1% gradient6.4% gradient6.3% gradient6.9% gradient6.4% gradient7.5% gradient6.7% gradient8.1% gradient7.3% gradient7.0% gradient6.8% gradient7.1% gradient7.1% gradient6.5% gradient6.7% gradient7.4% gradient7.6% gradient6.9% gradient7.0% gradient7.3% gradient6.9% gradient8.4% gradient8.7% gradient10.2% gradient23.5% gradient5.9% gradient6.0% gradient7.3% gradient6.4% gradient5.9% gradient5.9% gradient6.3% gradient6.9% gradient5.4% gradient5.5% gradient6.0% gradient5.6% gradient3.8% gradient5.4% gradient4.6% gradient5.3% gradient5.2% gradient4.9% gradient5.7% gradient8.3% gradient6.5% gradient5.8% gradient6.3% gradient6.9% gradient8.1% gradient7.6% gradient6.9% gradient7.2% gradient7.9% gradient7.3% gradient6.1% gradient5.5% gradient6.0% gradient7.9% gradient7.5% gradient6.3% gradient5.7% gradient5.8% gradient6.1% gradient6.7% gradient6.7% gradient5.9% gradient4.4% gradient5.8% gradient5.5% gradient4.5% gradient11.6% gradient17.1% gradient-8.9% gradient5.1% gradient4.5% gradient3.5% gradient4.2% gradient4.6% gradient4.8% gradient4.7% gradient-5.2% gradient0.0% gradient18.4% gradient5.8% gradient4.9% gradient-3.0% gradient-18.3% gradient30.4% gradient4.4% gradient6.2% gradient5.3% gradient4.5% gradient7.8% gradient7.4% gradient5.1% gradient6.3% gradient5.0% gradient7.1% gradient5.2% gradient3.5% gradient2.5% gradient3.5% gradient4.3% gradient6.1% gradient4.3% gradient2.5% gradient4.5% gradient5.1% gradient4.3% gradient5.1% gradient2.9% gradient3.7% gradient3.8% gradient5.9% gradient4.7% gradient-1.0% gradient3.3% gradient4.6% gradient0.8% gradient3.2% gradient4.1% gradient4.4% gradient2.8% gradient4.8% gradient6.4% gradient3.9% gradient4.3% gradient1.8% gradient2.3% gradient-2.0% gradient0.3% gradient3.7% gradient4.6% gradient3.6% gradient4.8% gradient3.9% gradient3.1% gradient2.3% gradient2.2% gradient4.4% gradient4.7% gradient5.2% gradient4.2% gradient5.1% gradient5.1% gradient3.6% gradient4.0% gradient5.5% gradient4.0% gradient2.1% gradient3.2% gradient7.8% gradient6.4% gradient5.9% gradient6.3% gradient7.4% gradient7.3% gradient4.4% gradient6.1% gradient6.5% gradient6.9% gradient6.3% gradient6.1% gradient6.0% gradient6.3% gradient3.9% gradient6.2% gradient4.8% gradient4.6% gradient5.0% gradient4.6% gradient4.1% gradient3.7% gradient5.9% gradient8.1% gradient8.6% gradient6.7% gradient7.0% gradient9.3% gradient7.8% gradient8.2% gradient6.2% gradient6.4% gradient6.7% gradient7.8% gradient7.4% gradient6.2% gradient5.4% gradient5.7% gradient6.3% gradient6.1% gradient5.8% gradient7.0% gradient7.3% gradient7.3% gradient5.8% gradient6.4% gradient9.7% gradient5.1% gradient6.9% gradient7.4% gradient6.8% gradient5.5% gradient4.3% gradient6.0% gradient5.8% gradient6.6% gradient5.1% gradient2.6% gradient6.6% gradient5.1% gradient5.6% gradient8.5% gradient6.9% gradient5.2% gradient6.7% gradient5.1% gradient5.7% gradient6.7% gradient5.7% gradient6.1% gradient7.4% gradient5.8% gradient6.8% gradient5.9% gradient7.1% gradient5.4% gradient4.9% gradient5.8% gradient2.7% gradient7.3% gradient5.0% gradient5.2% gradient5.9% gradient6.1% gradient5.8% gradient4.8% gradient7.2% gradient6.0% gradient5.6% gradient6.1% gradient4.9% gradient6.2% gradient
0 km9.6 km19.2 km28.7 km38.3 km47.9 km

02 / The crux

Where it gets difficult

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

Steepest 500 m average

19.1%

Where to find it

9.10–9.60 km from start

Net height gained
96 m
Section length
500 m
The whole climb47.90 km
0 kmFinish

03 / The numbers

Climb statistics

Distance
47.90 km
Elevation gain
2,635 m
Average gradient
4.9%
Climb category
HC
Start elevation
1,051 m
Summit elevation
3,408 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

3 h 7 min

Power throughout
225 W
Average speed
15.3 km/h

Based on the 47.90 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

El Picacho

Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia

Route length
47.90 km
Total ascent
2,635 m
Average gradient
4.9%

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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