Above Sant Julià de Lòria, Coll de la Gallina climbs relentlessly into the heights of the principality of Andorra, unanimously regarded as the toughest climb in the small Pyrenean country.
A demanding ascent from start to finish
From Aixovall, it’s 12.2 km for 1,019 m of elevation gain, averaging 8.4%, with ramps beyond 14% on the Sant Julià de Lòria side. The pass tops out at 1,907 m.
A decisive difficulty in the Vuelta a España
The road was only fully paved in 2015, specifically to allow competitive use. Since then it has served as the penultimate difficulty in the Vuelta a España’s Andorran stages in 2015, 2018 and 2019, with the selection regularly happening on this climb ahead of the finish judged at Cortals d’Encamp, where Enric Mas won in both 2018 and 2019.
When to go
April to November — snow can close the road outside this window given the altitude.
Good to know
Aixovall and Sant Julià de Lòria offer convenient access to the principality of Andorra, with duty-free shopping and quick access to the area’s other great Pyrenean climbs.
