- Ascent
- 1038 hm
- Distance Ascent
- 14 km
- max. gradient
- 17 %
- ø gradient
- 7.4 %
The Lagos de Covadonga from Sotu Cangues are an HC climb of 14 km with 1,038 m of elevation gain at an average of 7.4 %, peaking at 17 %. The road climbs past Covadonga into the Picos de Europa up to the lakes at 1,134 m, and the way back is the same road. The first eight kilometres are the steep part, the last ones are much gentler.
Retro Vibes: 100 Climbs Edition DIN A1 poster
Bucket-List Print: Lagos de Covadonga
The Lagos de Covadonga climb from the valley near Cangas de Onís into the Picos de Europa. From Sotu Cangues it is 14 kilometres and 1,038 metres of climbing up to the lakes at 1,134 metres. The profile is lopsided: the first eight kilometres do almost all of the work. After that the road becomes much gentler and even drops for a short while.
The Lagos de Covadonga at a glance
The key figures from Sotu Cangues: category HC, 14 km, 1,038 m of climbing, 7.4 % on average and 17 % at its steepest. The road climbs past Covadonga into the Picos de Europa and ends at the lakes at 1,134 m. Start and finish are both in Sotu Cangues, so the way back is the same road. In our list the climb belongs to the Cantabrian Mountains region.
The climb from Sotu Cangues
The first eight kilometres average around 9 % and are the heart of the climb. Right from the start the gradient sits at around 8 %, and several kilometres go above 10 %. The steepest kilometre comes at about the six kilometre mark, clearly in double figures. There are no real breaks in this part.
After that the climb changes completely: the gradient drops to around 4 to 6 %, and one kilometre even goes slightly downhill. The last two kilometres up to the lakes are gentle, below 4 %. So Covadonga is steep at the bottom and easy at the top. Anyone who survives the first eight kilometres has done the hard part.
How it compares to our 100 climbs
The Lagos de Covadonga are one of only two climbs in the Cantabrian Mountains in our list. At 1,134 m they finish low, only eight climbs end lower. With 1,038 m of climbing and 7.4 % on average they sit in the middle, 38 climbs are steeper. The other Cantabrian climb, the Alto de l’Angliru, is clearly harder: 13.2 km, 1,266 m of climbing at 9.6 % and a 23.5 % peak.
Practical tips
For the steep first eight kilometres a compact gearing with a large sprocket makes sense. Go into this part calmly, the gradient starts immediately. At 1,134 m the top is not high, a windproof layer for the descent is usually enough. The way back to Sotu Cangues is the same road, and the steep lower part is steep on the way down too.
