Mount Hermon

Overview

Mount Hermon is an HC climb — hors catégorie, the hardest rating on the scale that runs HC, 1, 2, 3, 4 — and the numbers explain why. Across 9.2 km the road averages 11.4%, lifting you from a start elevation of 981 m to a 2030 m summit. That is 1049 m of net elevation gain, with 1019 m of total ascent packed into the effort. There is no easing-in stretch to hide behind: an 11.4% average over that distance means the climb is punishing from the moment you tip onto it and never fully releases its grip until the top.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature here is consistency of severity rather than a single crux. With the average sitting at 11.4% and the maximum reaching 21.76%, the steepest ramps are nearly double the mean — brutal spikes that arrive on top of an already savage baseline. Because net gain (1049 m) sits just above total ascent (1019 m), the profile is almost monotonically upward: you gain roughly 1049 m of height while only pedaling 9.2 km forward. Expect long sustained walls in the low-to-mid teens, punctuated by pitches clawing toward that 21.76% ceiling. This is a climb of attrition where the gradient rarely drops enough to recover, so every steep section compounds the fatigue of the one before it.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this long, discipline early is everything. Anchor your effort to your FTP and resist the urge to chase the opening ramps. Over 9.2 km at 11.4%, most riders spend 40 minutes or more climbing, so treat this as a sustained threshold-to-tempo effort rather than a series of surges. If you do not know your current threshold, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you plan a target. When the road spikes toward 21.76%, let your power drift briefly above threshold — you have no choice — but shed that surplus on any slight softening so the average effort stays sustainable. Blow up on the lower slopes and the remaining metres to 2030 m will feel endless.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. An 11.4% average with ramps to 21.76% will overwhelm road-race setups fast. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with at least a 32-tooth cassette sprocket — a 34×32 low — is the practical minimum for most trained riders, and even then the steepest pitches will grind. If you climb below threshold power, or you simply want to spin rather than lurch through the 20%-plus sections, size up to a 34×34. The extra range is cheap insurance against being forced out of the saddle on a wall that runs for 9.2 km and gains 1049 m.

Summary

Mount Hermon is a genuine HC test: 9.2 km, 11.4% average, and ramps to 21.76%, climbing from 981 m to a 2030 m summit for 1049 m of net gain. Gear low, pace to your threshold, and respect the relentlessness.

Length: 9.2 km
Average gradient: 11.4%
Max gradient: 21.76%
Start: 981 m
Summit: 2030 m
Net gain: 1049 m
Total ascent: 1019 m
Category: HC