Mono Pass

Overview

Mono Pass is a Hors Catégorie (HC) climb in the US, running 12.3 km from a start elevation of 2,162 m to a summit at 3,238 m. Over that distance it delivers a net elevation gain of 1,076 m at an average gradient of 8.73%. The category tells you most of what you need to know before you turn a pedal: this is a long, sustained effort at genuine altitude, with the finish sitting well above 3,000 m where thinner air will blunt the power you can produce.

The headline number to watch is the gap between net gain and total ascent. The climb gains 1,076 m net but racks up 1,235 m of total ascent, meaning roughly 159 m of that height is given back to descents and dips along the way. That undulation matters: every metre you descend is a metre you have to reclaim, so the real climbing load is heavier than the net figure suggests, and rhythm is harder to hold than a clean, uninterrupted grade.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 8.73% average is an accounting figure, not a lived one. Because the profile undulates, the average smooths over both the false-flat recovery stretches and the punchy ramps that spike well above it. The steepest recorded pitch hits 33.22% — a wall you cannot ride at your average effort, only survive.

• Flatter and gently descending sections where you can spin, breathe, and recover before the next kick
• Repeated short climbs that break the effort into blocks rather than one continuous drag
• A brutal steepest ramp of 33.22% that forces a hard, out-of-saddle surge or a low-cadence grind

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chase even effort, not even speed. Trying to hold a fixed pace over the steep ramps will spike you far above your sustainable power output and cost you dearly higher up, especially at altitude. Let your speed drop on the walls and rise on the flatter sections while keeping your effort steady.

Know your ceiling before you start. Use the FTP estimator to set a target, then ride the steep pitches at or just above it rather than emptying yourself on the first 33% wall with 3,238 m still to reach.

Gearing

The steepest gradient governs your gearing choice, and 33.22% demands the widest range you can fit. Run a compact (34-tooth inner) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 at minimum, and 34×34 if your derailleur allows it. That ratio keeps you turning a climbable cadence on the ramps instead of grinding to a stall. Check your setup before the ride; this is not the day to discover your cassette tops out too low.

Summary

• Length: 12.3 km
• Average gradient: 8.73%
• Maximum gradient: 33.22%
• Net elevation gain: 1,076 m
• Total ascent: 1,235 m
• Category: HC

Mono Pass rewards discipline over ambition. Respect the undulation, meter your effort against the steepest ramps, gear low, and save something for the thin air near the 3,238 m summit.