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VIDEO: Gran Canaria's most feared road - Valley of the Tears

The Col Collective are back, with one of the toughest climbs yet!

Feared by all that visit Gran Canaria, Valley of the Tears leaves little to the imagination with its wickedly steep gradients, hostile landscapes and a seemingly endless road that'll suck all the moisture from your body as you tackle its unforgiving slopes so, naturally, we couldn't wait to pay it a visit to find out more….. 
 
Start: La Aldea de San Nicolas
Length: 24.2 km Summit: 1,360 m
Elevation Gain: 1,580 m
Average Gradient: 6.5%
Max Gradient: 25%
 
 
Now technically the VOTT starts about 12 kilometres from La Aldea de San Nicolas in the west of the island, but (and there's a very big BUT) to get there you'll have to have your climbing legs on as you scale two dams with ramps up to 20%......and that's just the warm up (no kidding).
 
 
Hit "The Wall" at the true start of the VOTT and you soon realise why this is the most feared road on the island, as the gradient rears up to 22% and the already poor asphalt gets even worse. And just when you think it surely can't get any harder, guess again!
 
 
After a short descent to catch you breath you pass by El Carrizal and are faced with the hardest section of all, this time there are no switchbacks to distract you from the vicious gradient which is now up to 25%!!
 
 
Keep pushing, you're almost there! The struggle is real, but the journey is so, so, worth it. And that's the true beauty of the VOTT, it's not just a (very hard) bike ride. It's a lesson in perseverance and overcoming those moments when you simply don't think you can carry on. Respect.
 
 
One of the hardest, yet greatest, challenges in Gran Canaria!
 

VIDEO: Valley of the Tears - The most feared road in Gran Canaria!

 
 
Special thanks to our partners WahooExposure Lights and our Canary Islands experts Free-Motion for supporting this video and enabling us to bring it to life.
 
Thank you for watching, until the next time ride safe and keep smiling :)
 
Mike Cotty