Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass cycling climb profile

Hatcher Pass is a long Category 2 climb in the US that asks a different question than its average gradient suggests. On paper, 30.9 km at 3.5% looks manageable, but that number is only the headline. The climb rises from 94 m to 1176 m, gaining 1082 m from bottom to summit, and the maximum gradient reaches 14.49%. That combination tells you the real story: this is not a simple steady tempo road where the same gear and effort will carry you cleanly to the top.

How the gradient rides

The 3.5% average over 30.9 km means Hatcher Pass has enough easier terrain to keep the overall gradient modest. But the 14.49% maximum gradient shows the ascent has sharp changes in pitch. In practical terms, the climb is likely to feel rolling and variable rather than metronomic. The easier sections can make the early effort feel under control, but they also invite over-riding if you chase speed instead of managing output.

The key is to treat the average gradient as a pacing reference, not as a description of every kilometre. A long climb with a low average and double-digit ramps punishes riders who ride the flatter ground too hard, because the steepest pitches require real torque. If you arrive at those ramps already above threshold, the cost compounds quickly.

Pacing strategy

Ride Hatcher Pass as a long aerobic climb with repeated muscular interruptions. The cleanest approach is to keep the opening effort below your sustainable climbing power, then let the steep ramps lift the effort briefly without turning them into attacks. If you know your /glossary/ftp, this is the kind of climb where disciplined pacing matters more than chasing every change in gradient.

Use the easier gradients to reset breathing and cadence rather than to accelerate hard. The summit is high enough above the start, and the climb is long enough, that small over-threshold efforts can accumulate into a real penalty late in the ascent.

Gearing notes

Because the maximum gradient reaches 14.49%, bring gearing that lets you stay seated and controlled when the road bites. A setup chosen only for a 3.5% average could leave you over-geared on the steepest sections. The goal is not just to survive the ramps, but to keep enough cadence range that you are not forced into low-cadence grinding every time the pitch kicks.

For most riders, the best execution is simple: settle early, protect the legs on the easier ground, shift before the steepest ramps, and save the hardest effort for the final part of the climb rather than spending it on the first section that feels fast.