Cerro Pass

Overview

Cerro Pass is a category 2 climb that rewards steady legs and a level head. Over 8.3 km the road lifts you from a start elevation of 205 m to a 771 m summit, a net gain of 566 m. The average gradient sits at a taxing 6.86%, which means there is almost nowhere to genuinely coast — this is a climb that asks for constant, honest effort from the first pedal stroke to the last.

At category 2, it is hard enough to hurt but short enough to hold together if you pace it correctly. The total ascent of 542 m confirms that the route is essentially all uphill, with little of the false-flat relief that longer valleys sometimes offer. You point the bike up and you keep it there.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline numbers tell a clear story. An average of 6.86% across the full 8.3 km is demanding on its own, but the 10.75% maximum gradient is where the climb bares its teeth. That peak sits nearly four points above the average, so expect the road to pitch and ease rather than hold a single tidy slope.

Practically, this means the climb breaks into two experiences layered on top of each other: the sustained baseline effort near 6.86%, and the sharp ramps toward 10.75% that spike your heart rate and tempt you into the red. Reading the difference between net gain (566 m) and total ascent (542 m), the profile is overwhelmingly one direction — up — with only marginal respite. Treat every steep pitch as temporary and settle back onto the baseline as soon as the gradient relaxes.

Pacing Notes

The single biggest mistake on a climb like Cerro Pass is attacking the early slopes and paying for it near the top. With 8.3 km ahead of you and an average of 6.86%, discipline beats bravado.

Anchor your effort to your FTP. On a category 2 climb of this length, riding at or just below threshold on the steady sections — and briefly allowing yourself over it on the 10.75% ramps — keeps you efficient without cracking. If you do not know your threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go, then set a wattage or heart-rate ceiling you can defend all the way to 771 m.

Meter your surges. Every time the road kicks toward that 10.75% maximum, resist the urge to power over it in a big gear. Spin through, recover on the shallower stretches, and let the average do the work.

Gearing

For 8.3 km at 6.86% with pitches to 10.75%, gear for the ramps, not the average. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring is the sensible foundation here.

Pair that 34 with at least a 32-tooth sprocket. A 34×32 gives most trained riders enough range to keep a fluid cadence on the sustained sections and survive the steepest kicks without grinding. If you climb at a lower cadence, carry extra fatigue, or simply want insurance against that 10.75% maximum late in the effort, step up to a 34×34. The lower ratio protects your knees and lets you keep spinning when the gradient bites near the summit, which is exactly when most riders run out of gears.

Summary

Cerro Pass is an honest category 2 test: 8.3 km of near-constant uphill, a genuinely tough 6.86% average, and 10.75% ramps that punish anyone who starts too fast. Pace it to your threshold, gear it for the steep bits, and the 566 m of gain to a 771 m summit is thoroughly earnable.

Length: 8.3 km
Average gradient: 6.86%
Max gradient: 10.75%
Start: 205 m
Summit: 771 m
Net gain: 566 m
Total ascent: 542 m
Category: 2