Kurakake Pass

Overview

Kurakake Pass is a Category 1 climb in Japan covering 9.4 km of ascent. It starts at 152 m and tops out at a summit elevation of 774 m, giving a net elevation gain of 622 m. On paper that reads as a steady mid-length climb, but the category rating signals a harder day than the length alone suggests.

The tell is the gap between the net elevation gain of 622 m and the total ascent of 1086 m. That 464 m difference is climbing you do twice — you gain height, give some back on descents or dips, then earn it again. This is a heavily undulating road, not a clean uphill drag. Expect the effort to feel choppier than the average gradient implies, and budget energy for the extra 464 m your legs will never see in the net number.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 6.59% average is a blend of easy stretches and severe ramps, not a representative slope. With a maximum gradient of 32.34%, there is at least one pitch far steeper than anything the average hints at, and the undulation means the road repeatedly rises and falls rather than climbing consistently.

• Flatter and descending recovery sections where you give back elevation — use them to spin and eat, not to attack.
• Repeated short climbs stacked through the profile, each resetting your effort.
• A very steep signature ramp — up to 32.34% — that will force you out of the saddle or into your lowest gear.

Pacing Notes

Do not chase even speed here. On a road with this much undulation, holding a constant pace means burning matches on every steep pitch and coasting on the descents, which wrecks your legs. Instead, ride to even effort: hold a steady sustainable power output and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain.

Ease off slightly before the steepest ramps so you arrive with headroom, and resist the urge to hammer the flatter recovery sections. If you are unsure of your ceiling, estimate it first with the FTP estimator and set a target you can defend across all 9.4 km and 1086 m of total climbing.

Gearing

The steepest pitch dictates your setup. At 32.34%, a standard road gear will stall you. Run a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 at minimum, and 34×34 if you have it — so you keep the cadence turning when the road stands up. Check your chainset and cassette before you ride; discovering you are over-geared at the base of that ramp is a mistake you cannot fix on the climb.

Summary

• Length: 9.4 km
• Average gradient: 6.59%
• Maximum gradient: 32.34%
• Net elevation gain: 622 m
• Total ascent: 1086 m
• Category: 1

Kurakake Pass rewards riders who respect its undulation. Pace to effort, gear for the steepest ramp, and treat the extra 464 m of hidden climbing as the real challenge — not the modest average gradient.