Anzob Pass

Overview

Anzob Pass is a short climb that trades distance for intensity. Over just 3 km it averages 8.67%, which is steep enough that there is nowhere to hide and no long false-flat to reset your legs. The road starts at 2582 m and tops out at 2845 m, a net gain of 263 m, with a total measured ascent of 256 m once the small dips and levellings are accounted for. At altitudes this high the air is noticeably thinner, so the effort you feel will always run a little ahead of the raw gradient number. This is a category 2 climb — not the hors catégorie or category 1 monsters, but firmly harder than a category 3 or 4 warm-up.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is the ratio of steepness to length. With an 8.67% average packed into 3 km, the climb behaves like one sustained ramp rather than a series of distinct sectors. The maximum gradient of 12.81% tells you there is at least one pitch that kicks well above the average, and the gap between that 12.81% peak and the 8.67% mean — roughly 4 percentage points — is where the climb bites hardest. Expect the difficulty to arrive early and stay, because a 263 m gain over 3 km simply does not leave room for recovery. The 7 m difference between the 263 m net gain and the 256 m of total ascent is small, confirming this is an almost uninterrupted upward drag rather than a rolling profile.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this compact, pacing is about restraint at the bottom, not heroics. Ride the opening pitches slightly below your threshold so you have something left when the gradient touches 12.81%. Because the whole effort fits inside 3 km, most riders will be climbing at or just under their FTP for the duration — this is closer to a long interval than an endurance grind. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then aim to sit just beneath that figure until the final ramp. The thin air at 2845 m will quietly cap your ceiling, so err conservative.

Gearing

At 8.67% average with a 12.81% spike, gearing is your friend. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a wide cassette keeps your cadence honest. For most riders a 34×32 is the sensible baseline and will carry you up the sustained middle. If you are climbing at altitude, carrying extra load, or simply want insurance for the steepest pitch, step down to a 34×34 so you can spin rather than grind when the road tilts to its maximum. On a climb only 3 km long, the penalty for over-gearing is real: you can blow apart quickly with nowhere to recover.

Summary

Anzob Pass is short, steep, and unforgiving — 3 km that ask for a controlled, near-threshold effort and a low enough gear to survive the 12.81% peak while the altitude quietly taxes you.

Length: 3 km
Average gradient: 8.67%
Max gradient: 12.81%
Start: 2582 m
Summit: 2845 m
Net gain: 263 m
Total ascent: 256 m
Category: 2