Nama Pass

Nama Pass cycling climb profile

Nama Pass is defined by scale more than by any single ramp. The climb runs for 35.5 km, averages 7.97%, and rises from 2536 m to a summit elevation of 5368 m. That combination puts it firmly in HC territory, not because of one violent section, but because the workload compounds for a very long time.

The key point is that the average gradient is already close to 8% across the full distance. Without segment-by-segment gradient data, it would be misleading to claim exactly where the road bites or eases. But the aggregate profile tells you enough to shape the ride: this is not a climb where you can treat the lower slopes as a warm-up and wait for the real work later. The real work starts early because the full 35.5 km requires sustained climbing at a gradient that keeps torque demand high.

How the gradient unfolds

The supplied profile gives a net elevation gain of 2832 m and total ascent of 2809 m. Those figures point to a route that is overwhelmingly uphill from bottom to summit, with no useful evidence of major recovery sections. Practically, that means the climb should be ridden as one continuous effort rather than a sequence of attacks, pauses, and resets.

At an average of 7.97%, the gradient is steep enough that cadence management matters. If you over-gear the opening part, the cost will not show immediately as speed loss - it will show later as accumulating muscular fatigue. On a climb this long, that is often the difference between holding form near the summit and being forced into survival pacing.

Pacing and gearing notes

Start conservatively. The bottom elevation is already 2536 m, and the summit is 5368 m, so the climb finishes in an environment where sustainable power is harder to defend. Even if the legs feel controlled early, the better strategy is to ride the first part below the effort you think you can hold, then reassess once the climb has settled into its rhythm.

Use gearing that lets you spin at climbing cadence without grinding. A climb averaging 7.97% for 35.5 km punishes riders who run out of low gears and are forced to push torque for too long. If you know your climbing power, anchor the effort to /glossary/ftp rather than speed, because speed will be heavily shaped by gradient, elevation gain, and fatigue.

The right mindset for Nama Pass is restraint. It is long, high, and consistently demanding. Ride it like an endurance test with a summit finish, not like a short climb where aggression can cover pacing errors.