Tucked deep inside Somiedo Natural Park, a biosphere reserve known for its brown bears, Alto de la Farrapona is one of the most remote and longest climbs used by the Vuelta a España in Asturias.
A long climb that steepens toward the end
From Pola de Somiedo, it’s around 18.6 km for 1,100 m of elevation gain up to the pass, at 1,708 m. The gradient stays reasonable over the first part of the route before steepening sharply in the final third, averaging close to 8.5% over the last 8 km.
A summit with three Vuelta a España winners
The Vuelta a España has placed a stage finish at the Farrapona three times: Rein Taaramäe won in 2011, Alberto Contador in 2014, and David Gaudu in 2020, in a two-up sprint ahead of Marc Soler, while Primož Roglič successfully defended the red leader’s jersey.
Getting the ride right
A full multitool repair kit is essential on this isolated road, far from any village in its upper reaches, as are extra water bottles for a long ascent with no refill point along the way.
When to go
May to October — the pass sits in true high mountain terrain, exposed to lingering spring snow as well as the first snowfalls of autumn.
Good to know
The climb finishes near the Lagos de Saliencia, a set of glacial lakes, one of which ranks among the deepest in Asturias, inside a natural park known for protecting the Cantabrian brown bear.
