El Peñon (Doney)

Climb Description

El Peñón from Doney de la Requejada is a testing climb. Not just in its gradients, which get increasingly steep towards the top, but also due to the poor road surface and rather barren scenery. However, it is a challenging climb in an area where gentle ascents are far more typical.

El Peñón is certainly not an ugly climb, but is also not the kind of road that you would ride solely for its beauty. It is though one of the highest road passes in the area though, and that certainly makes it attractive to cyclists. If you are in the area it is certainly a climb worth doing, as long as you can put up with the rough road.

The remoteness of the climb is its real attraction. You probably won't see a single other person once you have passed through the village of Las Truchillas. 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.

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Roads & Traffic