A paved steep road to La Covatilla
La Covatilla is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.962m (6,437ft) above the sea level, located in the south of Province of Salamanca, in Castile and León, Spain. It is one of the hardest climbs in the area.
Located in the westernmost part of the Sistema Central Mountains, the road to the summit is wide, asphalted in pretty good conditions. It’s called DSA-180. It's almost like the Ventoux at the top, because it's really exposed, and there can be a lot of wind. At the top is a ski station. This ski resort is also known for having been a final stage several times in the Vuelta a España race. The road is usually kept open throughout the year, as in winter the road is cleared to enable access to the ski resort.
The climb begins in Béjar. Starting from this town, the ascent is 19.9 km long. Over this distance, the gain is 1.146 meters and the average percentage is 5.8 %, with sections of up to 16.4%. At the summit, a gravel chairlift service access road climbs up to Canchal Negro, a mountain peak at 2.268m (7,440ft) above the sea level.