Alto de Letras | Colombia 3677 metres in altitude | 80.59 kilometres | QOM 4:10:14 hrs.
The Colombian Alto de Letras is considered the longest continuous tarmac climb in the world. It crosses the Central Cordillera in the Andes and guarantees thin air, as it runs above 3,000 metres for a long time. The lower air pressure means that only around 70 per cent of the oxygen reaches the lungs as at sea level. The east ascent from Mariquita in the department of Tolima is legendary. You usually start in the heat and end up in the cold of the high mountains. The road leads through different climate zones, but even at the top of the pass it is green. The alpine highland steppes of the northern Andes are called páramos. Along the route, you can always stop for refreshments and there are also short intermediate descents. The Strava data differs from other sources both in terms of the total metres of elevation gain and the maximum achievable altitude.
Camila Cortes (43), Bogotá | Colombia | Segment 2089151*
Colombian Camila Cortes has also competed in Alpine marathons in Europe - cycling characterises her life. She chose the "Letras" because it is one of the most famous climbs in the world. She also wanted to complete a "really challenging training programme in preparation for the Granfondo New York". "The biggest difficulty is the combination of altitude and distance. During the climb, the lack of oxygen takes its toll and keeping a steady pace becomes a mental and physical challenge." She has only ridden the mega climb once. Given the length, her advice is: "The key is to control your effort and nutrition. It's important to start at a controlled pace, not to exhaust yourself in the first few kilometres and to drink and eat well."
*Because there are sometimes several segments on a climb, we mention the number of the segment (example: 9387933 means www.strava.com/segments/9387933). We have taken the altitude information for all segments from Strava, even if it is imprecise
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