Gañecoleta

Gañecoleta is a tiny settlement on the Valcarlos Route where the serious climbing begins. A few scattered farmhouses, no services. From here the route climbs steeply — and relentlessly — toward the Puerto de Ibañeta, gaining over 600 m in roughly 8 km. The final few kilometers are particularly steep.

If you started in Valcarlos, this is where you begin to understand why the Napoleon Route is considered the harder option for its views rather than its difficulty — the Valcarlos Route has its own brutal climb.