Minaret Summit

Overview

Minaret Summit is a category 3 climb in the US, running 7.1 km from a start elevation of 2536 m to a summit of 2809 m. The net elevation gain is 273 m, and the average gradient sits at 3.84%. Everything about it happens at altitude: you begin above 2500 m and finish just under 2900 m, so thinner air will shape the effort as much as the slope itself.

The gap between the numbers is the tell. Net gain is 273 m, but total ascent is 330 m — 57 m more. That means the road gives some elevation back before taking it again: short descents or false flats break up the climb. You end up doing more vertical work than the net figure suggests, and every metre you coast down is a metre you have to reclimb.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An average of 3.84% reads as gentle, but averages flatten out the story. With a maximum gradient of 11.04% and 57 m of give-back built into the profile, the effort is lumpy rather than steady. The steep sections are where the work concentrates; the flatter stretches are where you either recover or waste energy.

• Flatter and recovery sections: false flats and brief descents where the road dips, accounting for the extra ascent over net gain.
• Repeated short climbs: expect the grade to pulse rather than hold a single number.
• The steepest ramp: pitches touching 11.04%, well above the average, demanding a real gear change.

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, even-effort beats even-speed. Chasing a constant speed forces you to spike your power on every steep ramp and soft-pedal the flats — exactly the wrong pattern. Instead, hold a steady effort anchored to your sustainable power output: ease slightly on the false flats and let the pace rise naturally, then contain the surge on the 11.04% pitches so you do not blow past threshold. At altitude, that discipline matters more, since recovery from over-efforts is slower. If you do not know your numbers, run the FTP estimator before you go and set a target you can hold across all 7.1 km.

Gearing

The steepest gradient, not the average, governs your gearing. At 11.04% you want a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 — so you can spin the steep ramps at altitude without grinding. The flatter, undulating middle is easy to over-gear, but it is the ramps that decide your setup. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride; you do not want to discover you are one sprocket short partway up.

Summary

• Length: 7.1 km
• Average gradient: 3.84%
• Maximum gradient: 11.04%
• Net elevation gain: 273 m
• Total ascent: 330 m
• Category: 3

Minaret Summit is a short category 3 climb whose modest average hides both a steep 11.04% ramp and 57 m of undulation on top of its 273 m net gain. Pace it by effort, gear it for the steepest pitch, and respect the altitude.