I rode Torrey Pines for the first time yesterday --- day 7 of a coastal tour from San Francisco. Compared to Big Sur it's a walk in the park. My Garmin had it at a very steady 6% grade and it's only about 1.5 miles or so. If there's one thing I learned on this trip, patience and confidence will get you to the top of anything.
(Oh, and I did the whole ride fixed gear
because I'm a masochist.)