Hardest Climbs
 

Ok so can some people describe their hardest climbs?

For me it was Tioga Pass in Yosemitie (starting on the east side), the meat of the climb was about 7 miles long with a grade that seemed around 7 or so, also the headwind that would stop you in your tracks made it a little difficult. A close second is trail ridge rd. in Rocky Mt. NP, 20 mi of climb, but not too steep, although at over 12k feet it gets hard to get the O2 to the brain and it seems like a good idea to go play with that mountain goat......

Let's see... the 12% grade of Mt Tamborine can get pretty intense in the summer heat. Hauling camping gear (including a wet sleeping bag) up to Queen Mary Falls last November took some doing (only 10km long, but a 1,000m height gain). The 1100m climb of the Border Ranges (all on dirt roads!), and the mind-buggeringly steep Mt French.

The climb was bad enough but the down hill side was pretty bad too this day. this is a bit long so if you are in a hurry scrowll to the next post.

Several years ago on a tour going west. I Climbed Mc Kinziee pass in oregon through the cascades. Id been on this climb once befor and in good weather it is a beautifull but strenous climb.

Started about 7am in Bend Or. headed to the town of sisters at the base of the climb. Weather was warm sunny september morning. Ate pancakes in sisters checked the weather report and it was a chance of light rain twords evening. Decided to make the climb and should be up and over well befor dark.

There isnt much in the way of services for about 70 miles so I had extra water and food this day. The first 8 or so miles got my attention real quick but soon settled down into the rhythem of the climb, sweating and also enjoying it at about mile 15 the wind changed and a cold frount came through I was now climbing into a strong cold head wind. The temp kept dropping and the wind blew harder. There would be many more hills, but This was really the last mountian pass i had to climb on this tour. There had been many befor that were much higher but somehow this one was the hardest.

The weather kept getting worse it began to drizzle and the cold wind in my face I stoped and put long fingered gloves on and the skull cap. The wind was so strong at times it would push me twords the sifde of the road and it was a long way down. SO i figured to un clip incase i got blowen off I could allways jump off the bike instead of being blowen into traffic or worse yet off the side of the mountian.

Wind picked up again i was moving at the break neck speed of about 2-3 mph a few gusts of wind almost stoped me in my tracks so I figured I would get off and walk a bit. YOu know what? walking into this wind was as hard as riding so i just hoped back on the bike and rode best i could. the drizzle turned to sleet as i gained elevation the road was a bit slippery and i was thinking about the down hill run. The sleet hurt as it hit my face I have no idea why i kept going other than the fact there was really no place to get out of the weather and being cold and wet i felt better if i kept moving so i kept climbing.

2 1/2 hrs into the climb I know I am near the summit the wind is picking up and its like this mountian is giving its last effort to stop me for some reason i started to scream out loud, " I WILL NOT BACK DOWN" my legs were tired and sore i was wet but staying somewhat warm from the heat generated by climbing.

I reached the summmit and thought my troubles were over i could coast down the other side and get to Mc Kinzee bridge and hopefully find a warm motel room.

Befor i started down i thought about changing into dry cloths but whats the use they would be wet in no time too and then id have nothing dry to put on later. I starterd down the first thing i noticed was my speed was picking up and the road was slippery because of the sleet also my breaks didnt seem to be working all the good from all the water and road grime on the rime i guess. but as i droped alitude the sleet changed back to rain my glasses kept foggin up so i had to take them off but had to keep my eyes squinted to keep the rain out. I was really cold now thinking it too wet to be able to get a fire going i needed to get out of this weather somehow. Kept going Now im shivering and thinking this isnt good , saw a sign for a campsite so i went in that direction thinking maybe something good will happen there when i got there i saw it was a primitive site no facilities and deserted so i got back on the road realizing id just wasted presious time id need to get off the mountian befor dark and because of the overcast it would be sooner than later.

My mind was blank then i saw a sing that raised my hopes and sperits a sign for a lodge in the middle of nowhere. I raced another 4 or 5 miles to get there I walked in and people looked at me like i was crazy for being out in this weather, I asked about a room knowing that this place would be expensive as hell but i didnt care i was too cold and knew i needed to be inside tonight. The fellow at the desk said words that i can still hear clearly today "SORRY" we have no rooms we are booked 6 months ahead of time i asked about staying in the employees quarters angain he just shook his head and said "SORRY" we cant allow that I really couldnt believe what i was hearing wasnt even allowed to set up in the garage. He did offer me a hot cup of coffie on the house. I sat alone at a table thinking that if anyone ever showed up at my place looking as cold and miesierable as i did i would surely find them a place to get out of the weather. but I just told my self "everything for a reason"

I changed into a warm dry set of cloths and looked at the map saw a few more campsites along the way, but i had to get going or i wouldnt make it off the mountian befor dark. I left I was mad but that is more than likley what kept me going because a few times i thought if i stoped I would lay down and die of exposure. rode into a couple more primitive camp sites and passed on them because i was dropping alitude it was starting to get a little warmer but the rain was really comming down now

Thought id stop and try to hitch a ride many new 30-40,000 dollar suv's came by and no one stoped probeley didnt want to get their vehical dirty i must have looked like a drowned rat i needed a ride and couldnt get one ,again i told my self "everything for a reason"and got back to riding.

CAme accross a hot springs resort checked on a room and they were also booked 6 mos in advance they offered to let me camp for 35 dollars though i wasnt interested in paying 35 bucks to be cold and meseriable. the fellow at the desk let me uste the phone and gave me some numbers to call of places down the road first place didnt have anything open second place would let me have a cabin for 120 per night i thought about it but declined the third place was a motel near Mc Kinzee bridge and had one room left for 45 dollars I said with out hesitation "ILL take it " and held it with a credit card number. I asked how far am i from her and it was about 22 miles i said ok ILL be there as soon as i can Im on a bicycle, then she said "ahhh oh... i dont allow bicycle in the room" I said who cares, i LL keep it out side i need to get myself inside tonight", no problem she had a garage i could lock it up if i was woried about it but i wasnt.

Now I am heading out again got 22 miles to go to get inside a hot shower and warm bed for the night. Its statrting to get dark Im in the big gear pedaling like a mad man then i dawns on me i didnt check the odomiter so i dont know how far ive gone or if i allready passed the motel up or not so i decide to go another 5 miles and if i dont see it ILL find a cabin or someone on the road and ask. turning a corner i see a gas station and a bunch of people milling arround first real civilization since leaving Sisters this morning. they are all registering for a dubble marathon run in the morning. most are camping because there is only one motel in the area and i got the last room reserved for me. a few people try to talk me out of the room but i am not giving it up i would have shared it if someone asked. the motrel is just up the road man i feel and look like a drowned rat when i get to the office Dusty sees me and knows im the guy she talkied to and says check in later now go up stairs get out of those wet cloths and into a hot shower leave all the wet stuff outside the room Ill wash and dry them for you",, things started to get better from that point. by the time i finished the shower the rain quit and a duble rainbow appeared the day went from good to bad to worst ever day on a bike to wonderfull all in one day man did I ever sleep good that night

Epic! Cool tale. That hot shower must have felt d@mn good.

Try this one for size.

http://www.nearyfamily.fsnet.co.uk/wrynose1.jpg

It's about 5 miles long with a steepest grade of 33%. It's possible to ride over 5 such climbs in one day in the Lake District in the UK. I done it about 10 years ago.

The hardest climb I did was from Reno, NV over Mt. Rose Pass to Incline Village on Lake Tahoe. I was joining a friend who was doing an annual ride around the Lake the next day,

I had spent the prior week in Palm Springs, CA (elev. 450 ft.) and flew to Reno (elev. 4400 ft.). I had a few clothes and things stored in my panniers. The first 8-9 miles were flat. Then the road to Lake Tahoe veered off to the right and began a gentle grade up to the Mt. Rose Ski Area (elev. 8900 ft.). Eventually, the grade started getting steeper and I started to run out of air. I hadn't gotten conditioned to the altitude so I was struggling and I had to stop a couple times to recover. The overall grade for the 12.4 miles from the turn-off to the top is about 7% but I think that some sections are worse than that as the first couple of miles are not too much of a grade.

I managed to get to the top, stuffed some newspaper under my jersey, and made the descent down to the lake. By this time I gotten a splitting headache (probably from the altitude) and finally made it to So. Lake Tahoe. The next day I rendezvous'd with the friend and his companions at Camp Richardson. I still wasn't feeling to good, so I ending turning back at Emerald Bay. Some day, I'll to the Tahoe Century and finally make it around Lake Tahoe.

yikes!!! 33%! OMG! you'd think the UK would have put in switchbacks :)


Hardest climb i did was Haleakala Crater on Maui,Hawai'i

rises 10,023 ft
30 mile climb
average grade of 5-6%

its not the grade that kills, and its pretty steady so you can set a rhythm, but wow, it just goes on FOREVER. you basically start at the beach...and pedal thru the clouds, and then to the volcanic treeless landscape at the summit. i was on vacation and was able to rent a nice C-dale...pedaled up in sneakers, t-shirt, and bathing suit shorts (didn't have any gear with on vacation). lol...i was just happy to be riding it. mainly used a 39-23 and 39-25. had a blast! :)

So far, my toughest have been more about frequency more than one single distance.
In Alaska, there was a tough one called Beaver Slide. 6% for 2 miles. "Rollercoaster" was another memorable section of ups and downs not far from Beaver Slide.

I'd say the toughest day of climbs was doing the Top of The World Highway from the AK/Yukon border to Dawson City. No water, and lots of long ups and downs. The 14 km downhill at the end into Dawson City sure was a nice reward though. I guess leaving Dawson would be tougher. Steep grades on that downhill.

The worst case of short but steep ups and downs would have to be Cortes Island off the coast of Vancouver Island, BC in between the mainland. The whole island seemed to dish out countless ups and downs. My fingers were always shifting the gears and my legs were always moving at different speeds.


I know Peru, Bolivia and Chile are looking at me with a big smirk saying "You ain't seen nothing yet" and I beleive it.


Peace

Dave

Well that depends..... I did trail ridge road in Colorado from Estes Park - about 5000' of climbing and it gets over 12,000'. It was a hard ride but not really hard. I have done Lizard Head Pass at Steamboat Springs and it is 7 miles of 7% - it has a long "look out for falling rocks" zone and as I rode along I could hear small rocks rolling down the slopes - you don't get that in cars. I did Teton Pass in Jackson Wyoming - it is 10% for around 5 miles - and that is why they invented small chain rings. I think the hardest climb I did was Bobcat Pass in New Mexico - the last 3 miles were probably 7% but I wasn't in really good shape which is why it was hard. Long climbs + high elevation + inadequate training = that tired feeling.

I climbed Red Mountain Pass in Colorado from Silverton to Ouray. When I hit the steeper part of the climb it started to rain. I put on my rain gear, tights, long sleeved jersey etc. The rain came down in sheets with lightning. I could look down at the steep drop on my right. As I got higher and higher (peaks out at 10,600'), it got colder and colder. At the pass, snow was sticking just a few hundred feet higher up. I knew that from the pass to Ouray it was about 5,000' down and no pedalling. I figured that I did not want to do the descent in the freezing rain. My room mate on the tour did the descent (I SAGGED). I met him at the bottom. His face was blue. He could not talk. I took him into our room. I undressed him and stuck him into a hot shower - having felt the water first with my arm to be sure that I did not cook him. After that he could talk and dress himself. We went across the street and he gulped down 2 hot chocolates. We then went to the municipal hot spring and he spent an hour in the hottest pool 105 degrees.

It's not the long climbs that hurt, it's the steep ones. For me, climbing out of pacifica, california at 17% grade. Only 500 ft gain, but in 39-25, what a burn! Actually, first place goes to Lombard st in San Francisco, not the guiness book twisty bit, but 1 block west, I could barely walk that mother.

The Lizard Head I know in Colorado is near Telluride. Is there another one near Steamboat Springs?

Thanks.

I know what you mean with those lake district passes Campiag

That Hardknott pass is a killer, hell i even stepped off the bike going "downhill" its so steep. :eek:

The first time I rode Hard Knott and Wrynose I was on a Sturmny Archer equipped knock together bike (yep I walked up all the decent hills! lol) it had Weinmann 310 Calipers - thats an experience with flexi calipers descending those passes. My dad was good though, upgraded my brakes when we got home to Exage :)

If anyone wants to look at other info online regarding the Lake Districts climbs. Do a search on the following:

Hard Knott Pass
Wrynose Pass
Kirkstone Pass
Honistor Pass
Newlands Pass
Rydal Pass
Ulpha (with additional "eskdale")
Shap

Actually there is one more climb (better yet a series of climbs) I forgot to mention. This is also in a place you would never expect, aka bum f@#K Missouri (fyi Missouri is not flat). We were doing a ride from St. Louis to Jefferson City MO (about 130 miles). I am pretty sure it was Mo rt. 94. About 70 miles into the ride we hit a series of steep (probably >10%) that seemed to never stop. I think we did 10 or so in a row, and it was up around 90 degrees. There was also no breaks between these hills, you could feel yourself getting pushed into your seat (like a roller coaster) at the bottoms, and your 40 miles an hour didn't get you anywhere up the next hill. Not much elevation on them, probably less then 300 or so feet, but it was like climbing a wall. That combined with the heat and lack of water, and a 130 mile day made it real difficult.