El Peñon (Truchas)

Start Town	Altitude	Elevation Gain	Length	Gradient	Difficulty	Rating
Truchas	1,840m	720m	14.4 km	5.0%	743	***

Climb Description

El Peñón is a typical climb around the edge of the Spanish meseta. It is barren and very quiet. This is the more scenic side of El Peñón - and is particularly pleasant in spring when the heather adds some much needed colour to the surroundings.

The remoteness of the climb is its real attraction. You probably won't see a single other person on the ascent. You will, however, see plenty of cattle. This area of Spain is also home to many packs of wolves - indeed, the nearby Sierra de la Culebra Natural Park has the highest density of wolves anywhere in Europe apart from in the former Soviet states. The Iberian wolf is very small and notoriously timid, so don't let their presence put you off your pedal stroke.

El Peñón is nominally open throughout the year. However, given its high altitude, snow is common in the winter and can cause short term closures.

Roads & Traffic

The road surface is in pretty good condition from this side and there is very little traffic on the climb.

Alternative Routes

El Peñón can also be climbed from the Zamora region in the south. The climb here starts in the village of Doney de la Requejada. It is less enjoyable than the climb from Truchas due to a poor road surface and even more barren scenery.

Nearby Climbs

Llano de las Ovejas

Laguna de los Peces

Collada Trevinca

Cycling Holidays

We currently do not have any cycling holidays that include El Peñon. If you would be interested in customizing an itinerary to this region, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss the options.

You may also be interested in the links below to some of the tours that we currently run in north-west Spain.