W Long: A Coll de Pradell

Please note: routeyou overestimates the number of altimeters, a realistic estimate is 3070 hm (according to garminconnect).

From Ripoll you pedal in an anti-clockwise direction and then you first reach the Col de Merolla in front of the wheels, actually quite a running climb (never steep).

You descend along the quiet main road to La Pobla de Lillet and the road becomes a little busier. After passing through the village, we turn left and continue the climb along a very quiet road to the Santuari de la Mare de Déu de Falgars. The last part to the top is a dead end. About 50 meters from the road there is a viewpoint. The descent of this climb (with a short climb of up to 19% to the Collada de Sobirana) gives you some nice panoramic views at the end in a section of six hairpin bends.

Then you go up to the Col de la Fumanya (the first 6 kilometres are on a fairly busy road), which on this route becomes a small "round trip" along a very quiet road to the top of the Coll de Pradell. A very detailed profile of both ports together can be seen here. And then you see that it's really a big climb (steep and long: 15 km; maximum gradient of 24%). Not surprisingly, "The hardest port in Catalonia". You can choose not to do the "round trip" to the Coll de Pradell, then the steepest part of the climb and 400 hm will be cancelled and the route will be 7 km shorter (you will only climb the Col de la Fumanya, which is really steep in the last 2 kilometers (just over 20%)). Either way, in both cases you will also pass by the Cap Deig Viewpoint. The descent takes you through a beautiful (rocky) landscape and takes you back to the gorge-like valley of the El Lobregat river, in the reservoir of this river.

You cross the reservoir to make the next climb: the easy face of the Collada de Vinyoles (source: climbfinder) or you see an even more detailed climbing profile. You'll see an ancient monastery that stands on the reservoir during the first part of the ascent. The descent is steeper than the ascent (see the profile of the descent, which is done from right to left). Along the foothills of the reservoir you pedal towards Borreda and finally after 112 km (without abbreviation) you reach a very famous restaurant in this region: Cobert de Puigcercós. So here you can eat and drink if you haven't done it before. You can also eat and drink at the campsite opposite. After this restaurant, turn left onto a hidden cement path that takes you along the Merlès river (upstream ) in which several water basins have been dug into the rocks with a number of small waterfalls (and which is popular with young locals to cool off). The concrete path (with good surface) takes you through a nature reserve.

You then go up the C-26 first going up and then going back down to Ripoll.