Alto del León (San Rafael)

Start Town	Altitude	Elevation Gain	Length	Gradient	Difficulty	Rating
San Rafael	1,511m	280m	5.7 km	4.9%	124	*

Climb Description

The Alto del León is a pass in the Sierra Guadarrama mountains, linking the provinces of Madrid and Segovia. It is a climb which has been used in the past during the Vuelta a España, but we strongly advise against cycling it.

It is the main non-toll route between Madrid and the north-west of Spain and carries a lot of heavy traffic. The road is wide, but it is both unpleasant for cycling and dangerous. The scenery is also not particularly inspiring, with the road in dense forest throughout the climb.

Alto del León is kept open throughout the year.

Roads & Traffic

The road is in good condition throughout.

This is a very busy climb, with a lot of heavy goods vehicles and other fast moving traffic. We strongly recommend not to cycle here.

Alternative Routes

Alto del León can also be climbed from the south, starting in Guadarrama. The road is just as busy from this side and should also be avoided on a bike.

Nearby Climbs

Abantos

Bola del Mundo

Puerto de Navacerrada

La Morcuera

La Navafría

Puerto de Cotos

Cycling Holidays

We don't currently run any tours in this part of Spain. If you would be interested in customizing an itinerary to this region (although not this specific climb!) , 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 mountainous tours that we currently run elsewhere in Spain.