Ishigure Pass

Overview

Ishigure Pass is a Category 1 climb in Japan, running 7.1 km from base to summit. It gains 577 m of net elevation, lifting you from a start elevation of 111 m to a summit at 688 m. At an average gradient of 8.08%, this is a serious ascent that sits firmly in the top tier of categorized climbs, demanding both sustained aerobic capacity and the ability to absorb repeated hard efforts.

The important detail is the gap between net elevation gain and total ascent. You climb 577 m net, but the total ascent is 652 m — an extra 75 m of climbing hidden inside brief downhill or flatter sections. That undulation means you spend energy on climbing that the net figure doesn't credit you for. Plan your effort around 652 m of work, not 577 m, or you will arrive at the summit having overspent.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average gradient of 8.08% is already steep, but averages flatten the real story. On Ishigure, the 75 m of undulation confirms the profile is not a smooth ramp. Expect the road to break rhythm — pitches that ease briefly before rearing up again, which makes it harder to settle into a single cadence.

• Short recovery or flatter dips where the road eases off the average
• Repeated punchy ramps that reset your legs each time the gradient bites
• A steepest section noticeably harder than 8.08% — hold something in reserve for it

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chase even effort, not even speed. Trying to hold a constant pace forces you into the red on every ramp and lets you coast where you should keep pressure on. Instead, anchor your effort to your sustainable power output and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain.

Practically: back off slightly into the steepest ramps rather than surging, and keep working through the brief flatter dips so you don't lose momentum. If you don't know your threshold yet, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before the ride so your effort targets are grounded in real data.

Gearing

The steepest pitches are what govern your gearing choice, not the average. On a climb this steep, come prepared with a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you the low ratio needed to spin the ramps without grinding your cadence into the ground. Grinding a too-tall gear on the steep sections is how you blow up early. Check your chainset and cassette setup before the ride, not at the base of the climb.

Summary

• Length: 7.1 km
• Average gradient: 8.08%
• Maximum gradient: 19.72%
• Net elevation gain: 577 m
• Total ascent: 652 m
• Category: 1

Ishigure Pass is a Category 1 test that rewards riders who respect its undulation. Pace to your threshold, gear for the steep ramps, and treat the full 652 m of ascent — not just the net gain — as the work ahead of you.