La Farrapona

Start Town Altitude Elevation Gain Length Gradient Difficulty Rating
Riera 1,708m 1,079m 18.7 km 5.8% 705 *****






La Farrapona Cycling Profile

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Climb Description

Despite being a relative newcomer to the Vuelta a España, La Farrapona has quickly become a favourite among cycling fans. Coming immediately after the Puerto de San Lorenzo, the Farrapona offers the chance for long range attacks, with a gradient which gets steeper towards the top. In 2014, Alberto Contador all but won the race on La Farrapona, following Chris Froome up the climb before riding away from his rival in the final kilometre.

The main reason for La Farrapona's fame, however, is not so much its slopes as its location set inside the stunning Somiedo Natural Park - surely the most wild and undiscovered part of Western Europe. The mountains here are dotted with just a few small villages, and the surrounding countryside is home to numerous brown bears, wolves, vultures, golden eagles and lynx - making the Somiedo a truly unique ecosystem in Europe.

You almost certainly won't see any bears, wolves or lynx unless you specifically look for them and hike into the depths of the Natural Park. However, you will see vultures and golden eagles soaring over the road as you make your way up towards the top of the climb.

In terms of both its challenge as a climb and its unique scenery, La Farrapona is hard to beat.

La Farrapona is usually open from April to November. During the winter months, it is possible to climb as far as the village of Saliencia, but the final seven kilometres are sometimes closed due to the snow.


La Farrapona  -  Asturias Cycling Climb

The paved road comes to an abrupt end at the top of the pass






Roads & Traffic

The road is in excellent condition throughout and there is very little traffic on the climb throughout the whole year.


Sign at bottom of La Farrapona

La Farrapona is a very popular climb among local cyclists





Alternative Routes

This is the only paved side of La Farrpona. There is, however, a gravel track to the top from the east, beginning in the village of Torrestío;. This is 4km long and has an average gradient of 9%. The surface is easy to ride on a mountain bike or a gravel bike, but we wouldn't recommend it on a road bike.





Nearby Climbs


Puerto de San Lorenzo

Puerto de Somiedo

Puerto de Ventana

Valle de Lago

Ermita de Alba

Puerto Marabio






Cycling Holidays

La Farrapona is climbed on our Great Climbs of the Vuelta cycling holiday.

You can find out more information below about this and similar tours that we run in high mountains.




Picos de Europa National Park
Spanish FlagSpain

Self-Guided Cycling Holiday
Length: 8 Days
Level: Difficulty Medium to Challenging
Price: from €1,490 EUR
Lagos de Covadonga
Spanish FlagSpain

Self-Guided Cycling Holiday
Length: 8 Days
Level: Difficulty Challenging-Hard
Price: from €1,490 EUR
French FlagFrance

Self-Guided Cycling Holiday
Length: 8 Days
Level: Difficulty Challenging-Hard
Price: from €1,070 EUR