Lilpela Pass

Overview

Lilpela Pass is a short, honest category 3 climb that packs a real bite into a compact 3.2 km. The road lifts you from a start elevation of 286 m to a summit at 492 m, a net gain of 206 m over a distance that gives you nowhere to hide. At an average gradient of 6.5%, this is not a shallow drag you can spin over in the big ring — it is steep enough to load the legs from the first pedal strokes and short enough that most riders will treat it as a sustained threshold effort rather than a war of attrition.

The headline for the ambitious is the 12.16% maximum gradient. That single number tells you Lilpela is not evenly pitched, and pacing it well means respecting where that ramp lands.

How the Gradient Unfolds

With a 6.5% average and a 12.16% max, the climb carries a meaningful spread between its easiest and hardest sections. A steady 6.5% for the full 3.2 km would be predictable; the presence of a pitch reaching 12.16% means at least one section runs well above that average, and by simple arithmetic other sections must sit below it to balance out.

Practically, expect the climb to breathe: stretches where the grade eases back toward or under the average, punctuated by a hard ramp near the 12.16% mark that spikes your effort. Because the total ascent recorded is 165 m against a net elevation gain of 206 m, the profile is essentially a clean, upward-trending push — you are climbing almost the entire way, not trading rollers.

Pacing Notes

Over 3.2 km, Lilpela is short enough to ride close to your threshold the whole way. If you know your FTP, aim to hold just under it through the shallower 6.5% sections, then accept a controlled surge over the 12.16% ramp rather than blowing apart trying to hold constant power. The steep pitch is where riders who went out too hard pay for it.

If you have not benchmarked your threshold yet, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan an effort here. A realistic FTP figure turns a 3.2 km climb from a guessing game into a paced, repeatable target.

Gearing

The combination of a 6.5% average and a 12.16% max on a 206 m gain is squarely in "make sure you have a bailout gear" territory. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a 34×32 cassette will carry most fit riders over the steepest ramp without cross-chaining into a grind. If you climb at a lower cadence, or you are riding Lilpela at the end of a long day, drop to 34×34 for a little more spinning room on the 12.16% pitch. Neither setup is overkill on a climb this steep — the extra ratio simply protects your knees over the hardest 165 m of ascent.

Summary

Lilpela Pass rewards riders who pace the shallower gradient and save something for the 12.16% ramp. Short, steep, and satisfying — it is a category 3 climb you can attack hard and recover from quickly.

Length: 3.2 km
Average gradient: 6.5%
Max gradient: 12.16%
Start: 286 m
Summit: 492 m
Net gain: 206 m
Total ascent: 165 m
Category: 3